ASHLAND, Ky. — King’s Daughters Medical Center, in collaboration with the Kentucky Heart Foundation, is offering free Heart Scans to eligible area residents. Heart scans are for individuals who may be at risk for heart disease and not know it.

The screening will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, at the Center for Advanced Imaging, 2225 Central Ave., Ashland, Ky. A limited number of appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 1.866.HEART.KY (432-7859).

To be eligible for the screening, individuals must be age 45 to 65 and have:

• never been diagnosed with or told they have heart disease

• never had a cardiac catheterization or stent

• never had open heart surgery or other heart procedure

• not had CT calcium scoring/angiography within the past five years

• not been seen by nor are under the care of a cardiologist or other heart specialist

Heart Scan uses CT technology to detect the buildup of calcium in the coronary arteries. Calcium and plaque together can form blockages in the arteries, which can lead to heart disease, including heart attack. Cardiologist Tina Sias, M.D., will review scan results with participants during a follow-up appointment.

The screening is designed to better pinpoint the risk of heart disease in those who are in the “intermediate” risk category. The screening is painless and non-invasive.

The free heart scan program is made possible by the Kentucky Heart Foundation, the physicians of the Kentucky Heart Institute, and Tri-State Radiology, in conjunction with King’s Daughters Medical Center.