Heart Scan Predicts if You'll Die in the Next 15 Years

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Have you ever wondered what your life will be like in the next 15 or 20 years? Most people, when asked about the future, would probably say it is full of uncertainties, especially when it comes to their health. 

However, according to a study, doctors can now tell if you are at risk of dying in the next 15 years by simply using a heart scan.

Daily Mail UK writes that, based on the results of a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, a simple coronary artery calcification (CAC) scan may be able to predict if individuals are at risk of developing a coronary heart disease that may lead to early death in the next 15 years.

A CAC is an x-ray test that can detect calcium calcifications in the artery walls of the heart, which are signs of a coronary artery disease.

Mayo Clinic defines coronary artery disease as a damage in the major blood vessels, called the coronary arteries, by cholesterol deposits. The deposits, also known as plaque, block the arteries and cause a decrease in blood flow going to the heart.

As coronary artery diseases are often gone unnoticed for a long time, patients only learn they have such disease if they have a heart attack. By then, it would have been too late.

Professor Leslee Shaw of Emory University School of Medicine said that the findings will help medical experts link coronary calcium scans to death.

Medical Daily further details that the study involved reviewing and analyzing the CAC scan of 9175 participants from the years 1996 to 1999.

The participants who have been included in the study showed no signs of any heart condition at the time of the scan and are from different backgrounds:  86 percent Caucasian, 8 percent African-American, 4 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Asian.

The team of researchers has discovered that most of the patients' scores on the CAC scan have matched scores of those who died from an early death in the last 15 years. But the most impressive part of the findings is the CAC scores' accurate prediction of early deaths due to coronary heart diseases.

The Statesman states that the researchers believe this could help prevent the increase of mortality rates of patients with high CAC scores, combined with medical guidance and active advocacy of a healthy lifestyle.

Professor Shaw added that doctors can inform their patients to practice a healthier lifestyle, like eating a balanced diet and doing regular exercise, as this would lead to better CAC scores and may increase the probability of a longer life span.