Lowell Bryant is 38. He signed up for a HeartScan because his own Dad died young. If Lowell’s headed for a heart attack, he’d like to know.

The HeartScan in this tube takes only about twenty seconds and for patients, it can be a reliable indicator that they may be on the way to a heart attack.

"The calcium that is good in your bones is bad in your heart," says Jason Arthur, a radiologist with the Alegent Health Heart and Vascular Institute.

That’s what the HeartScan detects. It’s a sign of coronary artery disease.

"On this study, it’s good news," says Dr. Arthur.

Lowell’s HeartScan shows no sign of the calcium or plaque that causes heart attacks. With a zero score, he’s at the lowest risk. If you score 10 or lower, the probability of heart disease is minimal. At 11 – 100, you’re at mild risk. Patients who score 100 – 400 are at high risk. And a score over 400 requires immediate medical intervention to avoid a heart attack.

"If we can catch some people before they have that first heart attack, and prevent it, that would be the ideal," says Dr. Atul Ramachandran, a cardiologist at the Alegent Health Heart and Vascular Institute.

Find more about Dr. Ramachandran

But Lowell’s not taking any chances. "My diet's not what it should be, and I don't exercise enough. Right now I'm lucky."

Lowell will have another scan in three to five years. If you have a family history of heart disease, a HeartScan may give you valuable information.

Find out more at the Alegent Health Heart and Vascular Institute.