Fifty-eight million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, making coronary artery disease (CAD) the number one killer of men and women in the United States. In fact, more Americans die of heart disease than all types of cancer combined.

CAD is most commonly produced by atherosclerosis (plaque deposits in the wall of the coronary arteries causing a narrowing of the arteries). Until recently there were no non-invasive studies that could directly evaluate the coronary arteries for the presence of atherosclerotic disease.

That’s why Christie Clinic is proud to introduce Cardio Check. Recent technological developments have allowed sub-second scanning of your heart to detect calcium in the coronary arteries. If enough calcium builds up in your arteries, it restricts the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart. Without blood and oxygen the heart muscle dies, and a heart attack is inevitable.

Christie Clinic performs Cardio Check on a new GE Lightspeed CT scanner. This state-of-the-art equipment is able to create 35-40 images in less than 20 seconds, exposing the patient to a very minimal amount of radiation. The amount of calcium detected corresponds to calcified plaque in your coronary arteries and is used to establish your cardiac score. The higher the score, the higher your risk of heart disease or heart attack. If you know you’re at risk, you can prevent the progression of heart disease.

And Christie Clinic is the only health care provider currently offering this service in Champaign County.