• One in three adult Americans has some form of cardiovascular disease, and each day, nearly 2,500 Americans die from the disease, an average of one death every 35 seconds. The aging population of the United States will likely result in an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. The direct and indirect costs of cardiovascular disease are estimated at $403.1 billion.1

  • New technologies, including computed tomography (CT) scans, have revolutionized cardiac patient care. Unlike an angiogram, an X-ray of the arteries, which requires a catheter to be inserted into the patient’s body, a CT scan does not require any incisions. Instead, only an IV is inserted into the arm to hydrate and medicate the patient. The patient is then positioned on the CT scanner’s table, and the heart and blood pressure are monitored. A small amount of X-ray dye is injected into the vessels to make them visible on X-ray images.2

  • The clarity of the pictures from the CT scanner is incredibly precise, and able, for instance, to clearly display if fat or calcium deposits have built up in coronary arteries and could cause a heart attack. These three-dimensional images allow physicians to study narrow, blocked, enlarged or malformed arteries without invasive surgery, enabling quick and accurate treatment. In many cases, the early diagnosis and treatment recommended by physicians through the CT scanner images are life-saving.2

  • The ability of the physician to make diagnoses earlier and non-invasively can cut costs by reducing stays in the hospital for the 64 million Americans who have high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke and congenital cardiovascular defects. In acute care situations, doctors can now review results before the patient has left the operating table, allowing them to provide immediate feedback to the patient. In addition, because both the time needed to prepare the patients for an examination and the examination time itself has been reduced, health care facilities will benefit from improved workflow and efficiency.2,3

  • CT scans also lead to significant savings in time and money spent. While traditional angiograms take 30 minutes to perform, require 24 hours of recovery time and cost $16,8382 per patient,1 CT angiograms can be completed in 10 minutes, require no recovery time and cost $500-$1,000 per patient.3

  1. American Heart Association. “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics - 2006 Update.” Dallas, Texas.: American Heart Association; 2006.

  2. Siemens. “Press Kit: Introducing the World’s First Dual Source CT SOMATOM Definition.” http://www.medical.siemens.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ PSGenericDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=-1&catTree=100001&pageId=69475. (18 May 2006).

  3. Industry estimates. 2006.
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