A simple heart screening can help you keep your heart healthy
According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both men and women. But there’s good news: it can be treated if caught early. And one of the best and easiest preventive tests for your heart is a heart screening.
What is a heart screening? 
There are different heart screenings designed to detect potential heart issues before they occur. One of the most common is the calcium score, a specialized X-ray that provides pictures of your heart to help detect and measure plaque buildup lining the walls of your coronary arteries.
Plaque buildup narrows the arteries, restricts blood flow to the heart and ultimately can lead to a heart attack if left unchecked. By detecting plaque buildup early, your doctor can provide a treatment plan to help you reduce your chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Who should get a heart screening?
If you are a male 40 years or older or a female 45 years or older and are at an increased risk for heart disease, you should consider a heart screening. You are at an increased risk if you:
- Are diabetic
- Have a family history of heart disease
- Are a past or present smoker
- Have a history of high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure
- Are overweight or lead an inactive lifestyle
We can help you manage your heart health by starting with a heart scan to detect potential issues before they happen. Plus, a heart scan can motivate you to make important lifestyle changes and follow treatment plans for a lifetime of good heart health.
What should I expect during a heart screening?
A calcium score heart scan is a simple test that takes around 10-15 minutes. A technician will attach sensors, called electrodes, to your chest before the scan. These sensors connect to a device that records your heart activity and helps take X-ray pictures between heartbeats when the heart muscles are relaxed.
During the heart scan, you will lie on your back on a table that slides into a CT scanner. Your head is outside the scanner the whole time. You will lie still and hold your breath for a few seconds while the pictures are taken. After the procedure, you can drive yourself home and resume your normal activities.
Why choose Lovelace Regional Hospital
Lovelace Regional Hospital is commited to offering Roswell and Chaves County residents the highest quality patient care that's close to home. We offer a wide range of cardiology services, including the ability to treat cardiac emergencies at our interventional cardiology catheterization lab. By partnering with the New Mexico Heart Institute, we bring over 30 years of diagnostic, interventional and preventive cardiovascular expertise. This means you have access to one of the largest cardiology practices in New Mexico, with some of the most well-respected and highly trained cardiologists, electrophysiologists, cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgeons in the world.
For every heart in our community, the future of healthcare is here.
Lovelace Regional Hospital cardiology services
Our services include:
- General and preventive cardiology
- Diagnostic testing and services
- Electrocardiograms (ECG or EKG)
- Echocardiograms
- Imaging with X-ray
- Pulmonary function testing
- Cardiac ultrasounds
- Transesophageal Echocardiograms (TEE)
- 3-D imaging
- Interventional cardiology
- Diagnostic studies
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent replacement
- Placements and change-outs for:
- Permanent pacemakers
- Internal Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD)
- Loop –recorders
- Percutaneous endovascular aortic repair (PEVAR)
- Peripheral percutaneous transluminal angioplasty/intervention with stent replacement (PTA/PTI)
- Treatment for heart rhythm disorders
- Wellness programs
Get peace of mind
Call 575-625-3371 to schedule your $149 calcium scoring in Roswell or call 505-835-1615 to schedule your $150 calcium scoring in Albuquerque today. No referrals are needed.