Ask About This at Your Next Mammogram: Doctors Reveal the Heart Risk Women Miss
A simple mammogram question could reveal hidden heart risks and save your life
Many of us get routine mammograms to try to protect ourselves from cancer. But can a mammogram detect heart problems too? The answer is yes. New research finds this routine screening tool can offer a valuable insight into our future heart health, but only if we know to look for it. We consulted top doctors to shine a light on this little-known link between heart health and breast scans. Keep reading to discover the one heart-focused question you should ask at your next mammogram.
What can a mammogram tell us about our heart?
When radiologists look at a mammogram, they often see things including breast tissue, blood vessels and calcium deposits. Most of those calcium deposits are harmless, but when they begin to form into clusters, they can be a sign of future problems.
In fact, breast arterial calcification (BAC) is calcium that builds up inside the small-to-medium sized arteries of the breasts and is linked to an increased risk of cardiac events like heart attack and stroke. You’ve probably heard of fatty plaque buildup in arteries causing heart problems. Well, this calcium buildup is similar.
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What the research says about calcium buildup inside breasts
According to research published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, women who had visible BAC on their mammograms had a 51 percent higher risk of developing a common type of heart disease over the next 6.5 years.
A new study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology followed over 18,000 women and found that those with BAC on their mammograms had a 1.5 times higher risk of death and 1.6 times higher risk of cardiovascular events. The average age of women in the study was 57, and lead author Tara Shrout Allen, MD, MSc, says, “BAC may be an especially useful tool to help predict risk for heart disease among younger women.” She also noted that “BAC may help physicians identify women who will most benefit from lifestyle modifications and medical therapies.”
How to know if you have this finding
Currently, BAC findings don’t have to be included in mammogram reports. But you may be seeing them pop up anyway now that more and more mammograms are being analyzed using AI tools. That can be a good thing for prevention, while also giving women another health issue to worry about.
Commenting on the trend, Ana Barac, MD, said, “while technology is bringing us closer to universal reporting of the presence and burden of BAC… detection of BAC during mammography could lead to increased anxiety.”
The crucial question to ask at your next mammogram
Want to know where you stand in regard to BAC? At your next screening, ask your mammogram tech this question: “Is there any arterial calcification on my scan? And how much?” suggests holistic cardiologist Joel Kahn, MD, founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity. He says the answer “can give a clue to serious heart disease.” He says there should be no charge for the additional analysis.
But the catch is, you have to ask for it. He explains, “It is not yet routine and universal that the reader of the mammogram will comment on BAC.” That is changing as technology improves and research supports this heart-breast health link. But Dr. Kahn says, “For now, I recommend that women ask that a comment on BAC be included in their report.”
What to do if your mammogram shows BAC
If you learn you have BAC from your mammogram, Dr. Kahn says, “do not panic but make a plan.” His recommendation: “Talk to your primary care doctor about complete labs.” Tests might include the following:
- cholesterol panel
- lipoprotein(a) level
- HgbA1C blood sugar test
- homocysteine level
- hs-CRP inflammation test
These labs will help guide future treatment and disease prevention. “In addition, ask your primary care physician for a prescription to get a coronary artery calcium scan (CACS), which is a simple, safe and inexpensive non-contrast CT scan of the heart arteries,” Dr. Kahn says. The goal is a score of 0.
Everyday steps to protect your heart health
Dr. Kahn offers these steps to protect your overall heart health, whether or not you have BAC:
- Sleep 7 to 8 hours at night, uninterrupted if possible.
- Exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
- Eat right. Aim for more than five servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds a day to maximize fiber and nutrition. And minimize saturated fats and animal foods including dairy.
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