Local doctor conducting tests for plaque in the heart | Business

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – A procedure can now be performed by a local doctor to determine if a patient has life-threatening plaque building in his/her coronary arteries, according to a news release from Wilmington Health.

Cardiologist Matt Janik, MD, FACC is accepting appointments for HeartScore Cardiac Calcium Scoring, a non-invasive test that can “accurately determine the degree and severity of hard plaque.”

The 30-second test is painless and performed with a multislice computed tomography (CT) scanner, according to Wilmington Health.  It is recommended for anyone at risk of coronary artery disease.

“Right now we wait for patients to have a heart attack to identify them as high risk,” Janik said in a statement. “This [test] allows us to identify high-risk patients before their first heart attack, so we can treat them more aggressively and prevent that heart attack before it happens.”

To make an appointment for the $100 test, call 910-815-8516. Janik can send the results to the patient or the patient’s care physician or cardiologist.

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