Frequently Asked Questions

The study is by invitation only. The letter you received provides a unique code required for the registration process. Here’s how to register:

1. Watch the video, in its entirety, on the CorCal homepage.
2. Click the link on the right-hand side that states, “If you have received your invitation – Click HERE to enroll”.
3. After clicking the link, you will be directed to a website hosted by REDCap where you can enter your unique access code and complete your consent form online.
4. Upon completion of this form online, you will receive a message from the study team regarding next steps.

After you complete the consent form, you will be randomly assigned to one of two groups and informed of what testing you may need to complete.

GROUP 1: Your risk for coronary heart disease will be evaluated using American Heart Association (AHA) standards. You may be asked to get a lipid panel, at no cost to you, to test your cholesterol. Find a CorCal lab location near you. If you’ve had a lipid panel within the last three years, the study will use those results in place of additional testing.

Time requirements: 0 - 30 minutes

GROUP 2: You will be asked to get a CAC scan and a lipid panel, at no cost to you. For the lipid panel, please find a CorCal lab location near you. If you have had a lipid panel within the last three years, the study will use those results in place of additional testing. The scan takes about an hour. Your risk is evaluated based on the results of both of these tests.

Time requirements: 1-1.5 hours

Your Intermountain doctor is taking part in the CorCal Research Study. We are reaching out to the patients that may qualify to participate in this study, which was created to help prevent heart attack and stroke.

About 1 in 3 people who die of coronary heart disease have no symptoms or warning before their heart attack or stroke. This study aims to find better ways to find people with coronary heart disease.

This study will determine if adding a CT scan to the tests we already do will help discover more people that are at risk of a heart attack or stroke. Right now, the standard method, based on cholesterol levels, uses an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score to predict how likely you are to have a heart attack or stroke. Doing a CT scan will create a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. Looking at both scores together may identify people with coronary heart disease better than just using one score. It is also possible that doing another test and looking at another score will not make any difference. Our goal is to find the test or group of tests that are the best at finding people with a risk of having a heart attack or stroke, so they can be prevented.

No, this study is by invitation only. If you did not get a letter or email, you will not be able to join this study. You may get a letter if your doctor is participating in this study and you meet the study guidelines for age, sex, etc.

Testing is different depending on the group you are placed in. You may be asked to take a lipid panel test to measure your cholesterol and/or do a CT scan to measure calcium. If you have already had one or both tests, your earlier results may be used. You will not need to pay for these tests. After testing, you will be asked to complete 5 short email surveys over the next 4 years.

Your time commitment will depend on the group you are assigned. You may be asked to complete all, some, or none of the following tests:

• Lipid Panel: 5 – 30 minutes
• CAC Scan: 45 – 60 minutes
• Questionnaires: 5 minutes

No. When you sign up, you will be randomly assigned to a group We have no control over what group each patient is assigned to.

You will be able to select your current Intermountain primary care doctor at the time of consent. Most of Intermountain Healthcare primary care doctors are participating in the CorCal study, but some are not. Giving us the name of your current primary care doctor is very important, since this will be the doctor we send results and recommendations to.

Based on your results, a heart specialist will send you and your doctor a report with their recommendations. Your report may include a suggestion to take a statin medication to help lower your cholesterol and your risk of coronary heart disease. We encourage you to speak with your doctor to find the right option for you.

After you receive a report, you do not have to come back for additional testing.

However, you will be asked to complete a five-minute survey through your email three months later and once a year for approximately four years.

This is a low-risk study.

• A CT scan will expose you to a small dose of radiation. The risk that comes with this dose is very low.
• No special dyes or other substances are needed for the CT scan.

• You will help the medical community develop better preventative practices while testing for heart disease.
• A cardiac specialist will oversee the evaluation of your heart health, along with your primary care provider.

There is no cost to you for participating in this study. Intermountain Heart Institute will cover all study-required tests, such as the CT scan and/or lipid panel.

If you have any follow up doctor’s appointments or prescriptions due to the study recommendation, you will be responsible for the cost of those.