Second Opinion: Mammograms For Your Heart?

The controversy may have died down over whether women should have routine mammograms (they should, say most experts). But now comes news that the X ray may offer an entirely new benefit: detecting heart disease. Tiny calcium deposits in the breast’s arteries may be an early sign of trouble in the arteries of the heart. In a 10-year study presented last week to the Radiological Society of North America, Mayo Clinic researchers reported a 20% increase in the risk of heart disease in women with a significant number of breast-arterial calcifications. (These calcifications–streaky white lines on a mammogram–are not to be confused with the kind of calcium deposits that appear elsewhere in the breast and may signal cancer.) No one suggests that women rush out for a mammogram just to check their heart. But, says Dr. Kirk Doerger, lead investigator of the study, “if you’re already having a mammogram, you can get additional information with no extra radiation or cost.” What to do if a radiologist spots arterial calcifications on your mammogram? Get to your doctor for a physical. –By Janice M. Horowitz