CLAIM: CT coronary scans can detect heart blockages quickly, non-invasively, and with precise detail, eliminating the need for traditional angiograms.
FACT: This claim is misleading. While CT coronary angiograms (CTCA) are a valuable diagnostic tool, they do not replace traditional angiograms in all scenarios. Both procedures serve distinct purposes and are applied based on the patient’s condition and likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and stroke, are the leading cause of death in India. So it is no wonder that every second day, there is a new claim on social media regarding preventing, diagnosing or even treating heart diseases. One such claim is that a non-invasive CT coronary angiogram can be used instead of a traditional angiogram to detect potential heart issues.
An Instagram reel posted by @versatilevivesgallery features influencer Raj Shamani in conversation with cardiologist Dr Bimal Chhajer, where they discuss this. In the video, which has about 1.6 crore views and close to 6 lakh likes, Shamani asks his guest about methods to detect blockages in the heart caused by high fat and cholesterol levels.
“You can check if you have one, and if there is a blockage, you can find out today. It can be checked very easily now with a CT coronary scan, which takes just five minutes. A five-second injection is given, followed by a five-second X-ray, and all the images inside your body are captured,” the doctor says.
According to the guest, the scan not only reveals blockages but also specifies their severity—10 per cent, 20 per cent, 50 per cent, or 80 per cent—and exact location.
“This test costs around five thousand to nine thousand rupees,” but also highlights the general lack of awareness, saying, “People never hear of it, so there’s a lack of awareness and knowledge about the availability of such tests. Doctors should inform more people,” he says.
“Doctors often prefer to do an angiography, where a wire is inserted into the body using a catheter... There’s a risk involved, so hospitalization is required,” he noted while adding that doctors “cause so much fear while giving the report, saying things like, ‘You might die tomorrow.’ This fear leads to a rush for surgery.”
An angiogram is a medical imaging test used to visualize blood vessels and detect issues like blockages or narrowing. It involves injecting a contrast dye into the blood vessels and using X-rays to capture detailed images.
“They [hospitals] create fear instead of suggesting this easy procedure, which is the best way to detect blockage,” the host concludes.
The reel seems to have been cut from a video posted on Raj Shamani’s official YouTube channel, which has also gotten over 35 lakh views.
So what are the facts?
To verify this claim, we spoke to well-regarded cardiologists at renowned institutions.
Dr Nitish Naik, a cardiologist at AIIMS, New Delhi, emphasized that “in medicine, nothing is absolute,” and that CT coronary angiograms and traditional angiograms are complementary. “For patients with a high likelihood of significant blockages, a traditional angiogram is more reliable,” he explained. “CT coronary angiograms, on the other hand, are suitable for cases with mild or low suspicion of coronary artery disease (CAD) and serve as a preliminary screening tool.”
Dr Shiv Kumar Choudhary, a cardiologist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, highlighted the limitations of CT coronary angiograms, especially because they have “a negative predictive value.”
“If the results are negative, we can confidently rule out coronary artery disease. But if positive, further investigation with a traditional angiogram is necessary to plan treatment, he explained while adding that CT coronary angiograms are “ideal for low-risk patients or those with atypical symptoms” but are less effective in “cases involving heavily calcified arteries.”
Choudhary explained that traditional angiograms remain critical for high-risk patients or those with positive stress tests, such as the treadmill test (TMT). “A conventional angiogram provides detailed information about the morphology and extent of blockages, which is critical for interventions,” he said. He further clarified that CT coronary angiograms cannot provide the comprehensive details needed to plan therapy, especially in cases requiring surgical or “catheter-based interventions.”
Thus, CT coronary angiograms are a useful, non-invasive tool for detecting heart blockages, especially in low-risk patients. However, they have limitations and cannot entirely replace traditional angiograms, which are crucial for diagnosing and treating complex cases. Patients should consult a doctor to determine the most appropriate diagnostic approach for their condition. Thus, this claim is misleading.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
