If you’re looking for Dr. Bimal Chhajer, chances are you’re interested in smarter, safer approaches to heart health. Welcome to SAAOL Heartcare Delhi, the pioneer in non-invasive heart treatment, offering real solutions like EECP treatment in Delhi/NCR, the best non-surgical heart disease treatment in India. Whether you want to avoid bypass surgery or are simply looking for an alternative, this blog is your guide to understanding how we can reverse heart disease without surgery, starting with the critical question: How do we even detect heart disease early enough to make a difference?
Most people don’t know they have a problem with their heart until their world crumbles with a heart attack or a sudden collapse. We are not scaring you, but that’s a fact. And if you’re breaking a bit of a sweat just reading this, take a deep breath, and know that you’re not alone.
Now it’s time for the part no one tells you about — the vast majority of traditional screenings do not catch the early signs of heart disease. We wait for symptoms such as chest pains, shortness of breath, or palpitations. But by then? You’ve been behind the curve.
So we’re not just talking detection today. We’re talking about early, deep, cellular-level detection —CT Angiography vs. Stress Test. And we guarantee you, by the end of this blog, you’ll never look at heart screenings the same.
What is a Stress Test?
A stress test — or treadmill test — looks at how your heart does when it’s given a push. There, you walk or run on a treadmill, your ECG is recorded, and the aim is to identify whether any part of your heart muscle is not getting an adequate blood supply.
Sounds logical, right?
But a stress test only detects problems when there’s already a 70% or greater heart blockage. That’s right. Anything under that radar? It might not show up. And just an aside for you to keep in mind – heart attacks typically are caused by blockages of 30-50% that rupture suddenly, NOT 90% or more that we’ve been trained to have nightmares about.
So if you’re depending on stress testing alone, you’re catching the disease too late. It’s the equivalent of looking for cracks after the dam has burst.
What is CT Coronary Angiography?
CT Angiography is a non-invasive scan that involves a high-speed CT and contrast dye to produce highly detailed 3D images of your coronary arteries. You’re lying down, not sweating on a treadmill. And moments later, your heart’s entire arterial system is there, mapped out for your heart: like Google Maps for coronary arteries.
But what makes it different?
Unlike a stress test, CTA can detect plaque as little as 20-30% blocking the lumen of the artery, visualize soft plaques (the true culprit behind most heart attacks), and even work to identify arterial inflammation — one of the silent killers that no stress tests can see.
Even more fascinating? We can now do “plaque characterization” — that is, not just tell you how much plaque you have, but what kind. Soft, mixed, calcified? Are they prone to bursting? This is not science fiction anymore – it is real technology that is available and in use at centers such as SAAOL Heartcare Delhi.
Why Soft Plaques Are the True Culprits (And How CTA Views Them)
You know about cholesterol and blockages, don’t you? But did you know that the vast majority of deadly heart attacks are not due to large, hard plaques? They occur in small, soft, unstable plaques that inflame and rupture. You can’t see these on stress tests. Completely.
Only a high-resolution imaging tool, such as CT Angiography, can identify these soft plaques early, before symptoms develop.
And if you’re younger than 50 and believe you are “too young” to be dealing with a heart condition, newsflash: early arterial plaque development doesn’t always appear on lipid profiles or ECGs. CTA is like wearing night vision goggles in the foggy forest — it lets you see what your body isn’t even complaining about yet.
The Power of Predictive Diagnostics—Beyond Just Detection
Tests are mostly binary to patients — positive or negative. But what if we could go one step further — predict who is at risk?
CT Angiography is an element of a brave new world known as Preventive Cardiology Imaging. It helps us:
- Early risk detection, especially in diabetics and those with a family history.
- Monitor disease progression without catheter-based invasiveness.
- Be aware of the plaque distribution (diffuse or focal).
- And measure something known as “Total Plaque Burden” — a much better predictor than just adding up how many blockages there are.
This is the diagnostic power that enables SAAOL Heart Centre to say, “You can reverse heart blockage, without surgery.” And we mean it.
“Is CT Angiography safe?”
Yes, there’s radiation — but with today’s machines, the dose is extremely low (about the same as a mammogram, or a few hours of flying in an airplane). Contrast dye may slightly affect kidney function, but we always screen for that first.
“Is CT Angiography expensive?”
Look at it this way: paying ₹7,000–₹10,000 once to see a panoramic view of the future of your heart is stil more economic than ending up in the ICU with a ₹5 lakh bill for an angioplasty.
Still, we know affordability matters. That’s why SAAOL Heartcare Delhi integrates such advanced diagnostics with value-based programs. Because early detection should not be a luxury.
CT Angiography vs Stress Test: Which Is Better
If you want some early, accurate, non-invasive, life-saving insight, CT Coronary Angiography wins! Stress tests still have a place, particularly to evaluate exercise tolerance and arrhythmias, and to confirm functional effect, but that is hardly the most sensitive method of early detection of heart disease.
Let’s put it like this:
- Stress Test = Reactive: Waits for symptoms or MI.
- CT Angiography = Proactive: Finds disease before it causes a problem, allowing you to take action before it’s too late.
The SAAOL Approach—Diagnosis Is Not the End
At SAAOL Heartcare Delhi, under the guidance of Dr. Bimal Chhajer, we believe early detection should lead to early reversal. Once CTA gives us your arterial report card, we act—not with scalpels or stents—but with the SAAOL Reversal Protocol:
- EECP treatment to improve blood flow naturally.
- Dietary and lifestyle modifications curated from the best of modern science.
- Medical yoga, stress management, and of course, Zero Oil Cooking.
Our mission isn’t just to detect heart disease—it’s to dismantle it, one patient at a time.
Why Wait for a Heart Attack to Learn Something Important About Your Heart?
Heart disease is the only epidemic where death is often the first symptom.
But it doesn’t have to be. You do not need to be in pain to act. All you need is curiosity, a measure of courage, and the willingness to look beneath the surface.
SAAOL doesn’t wait for symptoms! We value the science and the art of prevention, and the concept of the miracle of non-invasive reversal. Whether you’re a 35-year-old executive with a family history of heart disease or a 60-year-old diabetic wondering if you should go for bypass surgery—there is always a better, safer way.
Are you ready to manage your heart health?
Come & see us at: SAAOL Heartcare Delhi
Call us today to inquire about EECP + CTA screening combos!