Your Heart Has Been Working Overtime. Have You Checked In
on It Lately?
Valerie S. 11.11.26
5 minute read
The hardest-working muscle in your body deserves a little
attention, too.
Think about everything you've done today.
Maybe you've been to work.
Walked the dog.
Made dinner.
Answered a few dozen emails.
Run errands.
Or simply enjoyed a quiet morning with a cup of coffee.
Whatever you've been doing, there's something else that's
been happening the entire time.
Your heart has been working.
And working.
And working.
No lunch break. No vacation. No weekends off.
A heart worth taking care of
Not even a day off for Thanksgiving.
In fact, your heart beats roughly 100,000 times every day.
That's about 35 million beats a year.
And if you're 60 years old?
Your heart has probably beaten more than two billion times.
Now that's a work ethic.
The Employee of the Month. Every Month.
Your heart is an extraordinary piece of engineering.
About the size of your fist, this powerful muscle pumps
blood throughout your body, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your organs,
muscles, and tissues.
Every minute of every day.
Whether you're running a marathon or watching television.
Whether you're sleeping peacefully or navigating Atlanta
traffic.
Your heart is on the job.
And here's what's remarkable.
Most of the time, you don't even think about it.
You simply trust that it's doing what it's supposed to do.
Which raises an interesting question.
When was the last time you gave your heart a little
attention?
Feeling Fine Doesn't Always Tell the Whole Story
Most of us associate heart trouble with symptoms.
Chest pain.
Shortness of breath.
Unusual fatigue.
But cardiovascular disease doesn't always announce itself.
Coronary artery disease develops when plaque builds up in
the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
That process can begin years before someone experiences
symptoms.
And in some cases, the first noticeable sign of heart
disease can be a heart attack.
That's why understanding cardiovascular risk is so
important.
It's also why feeling perfectly healthy doesn't necessarily
mean there's nothing worth discussing with your physician.
Your heart can be working hard even when you're feeling
great.
Your Cholesterol Numbers Are Important. But Are They the
Whole Story?
Cholesterol testing is an important part of cardiovascular
risk assessment.
So are blood pressure, smoking history, diabetes, age, and
family history.
But these factors help estimate the likelihood of developing
cardiovascular disease.
They don't necessarily tell your physician whether calcified
plaque is already present in your coronary arteries.
That's where a coronary artery calcium scan—often called a
CAC scan or heart calcium scan—may provide additional information.
Using CT technology, this relatively quick, noninvasive
examination measures calcium deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries.
Why does that matter?
Because coronary calcium is a marker of atherosclerotic
plaque.
And the amount of calcium detected can help physicians
refine an individual's cardiovascular risk assessment.
In other words, it may provide another piece of the puzzle.
Not the entire picture.
But potentially a very useful piece.
What Can a Coronary Calcium Score Tell You?
A coronary calcium scan produces a numerical score.
Here's a simplified way to understand the results:
- Score
of 0: No detectable coronary calcium. This generally suggests a lower
risk of cardiovascular events, although it doesn't rule out noncalcified
plaque or eliminate risk.
- Score
of 1-99: Some calcified plaque is present.
- Score
of 100-399: A greater burden of calcified plaque is present.
- Score
of 400 or higher: Extensive coronary calcification, generally
associated with substantially elevated cardiovascular risk.
These numbers aren't a diagnosis by themselves.
Your physician interprets them alongside your age, medical
history, cholesterol, blood pressure, and other risk factors.
And here's an important point:
A coronary calcium score isn't a report card on how well
you've taken care of yourself.
It's information.
Information that may help you and your physician decide what
comes next.
Could a Heart Scan Change Your Healthcare Decisions?
For certain adults, yes.
Imagine two people with similar cholesterol levels, blood
pressure, and other traditional risk factors.
Their estimated cardiovascular risk might look very similar
on paper.
But one has a coronary calcium score of zero.
The other has a substantially elevated score.
That additional information may influence a physician's
recommendations about cholesterol-lowering medication and other preventive
measures.
For some people, a score of zero may support a decision to
postpone starting a statin when the decision is uncertain.
For others, detectable or elevated calcium may strengthen
the case for preventive treatment.
There are important exceptions. A zero score doesn't
automatically mean medication is unnecessary, particularly for people with
diabetes, significant smoking history, or certain other risk factors.
And calcium scoring isn't recommended for everyone.
It's most useful when the result could meaningfully
influence a healthcare decision.
The value isn't simply knowing your number. It's knowing
what to do with the information.
A Little Gratitude for a Very Hardworking Heart
As Thanksgiving approaches, we tend to think about the
things we're grateful for.
Our families.
Our friends.
Our homes.
The opportunities we've been given.
The people who make our lives richer.
But perhaps we should add something else to the list.
Our hearts.
Think about it.
Your heart has been there for every important moment of your
life.
Every first kiss.
Every graduation.
Every wedding.
Every new baby.
Every birthday.
Every ordinary Tuesday that turned out to be something
special.
Through the exciting moments and the difficult ones, it has
kept doing its job.
Quietly.
Reliably.
Without asking for much recognition.
Maybe the best way to show a little appreciation is to take
good care of it.
Taking Care of Your Heart Doesn't Have to Be Complicated
You don't need to become a marathon runner.
You don't need to eat perfectly every day.
And you certainly don't need to spend your life worrying
about your heart.
Small, consistent decisions can make a meaningful
difference.
Move your body regularly.
Eat a balanced diet.
Don't smoke.
Know your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Manage diabetes if you have it.
Get adequate sleep.
And talk with your physician about your personal
cardiovascular risk.
For some people, that conversation may include whether a
coronary calcium scan would be useful.
For others, traditional risk assessment and healthy
lifestyle measures may be all that's needed.
The important thing is to have the conversation.
Take the First Step
At Virtual Imaging Atlanta, we believe that better
information can lead to better healthcare decisions.
Our advanced CT technology allows us to perform coronary
calcium scoring, a noninvasive examination that can help physicians assess
cardiovascular risk in appropriately selected patients.
It's not a substitute for regular medical care, and it isn't
intended to diagnose every type of heart disease.
But for the right person, it may provide information that
helps guide preventive care.
So as you begin thinking about everything you're grateful
for this Thanksgiving season, consider giving a little thought to the muscle
that has been working for you since before you were born.
It's carried you through every moment of your life.
Maybe it's time to return the favor.
Take the First Step.
Sources & Further Reading
- American
Heart Association — Coronary Artery Calcium Test
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/diagnosing-a-heart-attack/cac-test - American
College of Cardiology — 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention
of Cardiovascular Disease
https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2019/03/07/16/00/2019-ACC-AHA-Guideline-on-Primary-Prevention-gl-prevention - American
Heart Association — Life's Essential 8
https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8 - RadiologyInfo.org
— Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring
https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/ct_calscoring
Medical note: Coronary calcium scoring uses a low dose of
ionizing radiation and may not be appropriate for everyone. A calcium score of
zero does not exclude noncalcified plaque or guarantee freedom from
cardiovascular disease. Discuss your individual risk factors, screening
options, and treatment decisions with your healthcare provider. New or
concerning cardiac symptoms require medical evaluation rather than routine
screening.