Drummer from The Smith’s, Mike Joyce came down to our Pall Mall private hospital in Newton-le-Willows in 2022 for a Calcium Score CT Scan to check his heart health in aid of World Heart Day.

Mike is currently 59 and with his 60th Birthday around the corner, he decided now was the time to start being more proactive with his health. With a history of heart disease within the family, with Mike's father having had a heart attack in his 40’s and his brother also experiencing heart issues, Mike was the perfect candidate for receiving a Calcium Score CT Scan.

The scan is a quick, convenient non-invasive way of evaluating the amount of calcified (hard) plaque in the heart vessels and can provide a first indication as to whether you may be at a higher risk of having a heart attack

Although Mike hadn’t previously had any heart tests, he wanted to take the steps now to give himself peace of mind and reassurance. This comes after watching other celebrities like Steven Fry get health checks and the recent death of Bill Turnball of a similar age to Mike.

During his interview Mike described his visit as: "a regular MOT - finding things out sooner rather than later is massively important instead of finding out when it's too late." He then went on to share how important getting these worries addressed are for his own personal mental health.

When asked about his experience receiving a Calcium Score CT Scan with Pall Mall, Mike said "I was quite surprised just how easy it was."

During the scan, ECG monitors are attached to the chest and you will be asked to breathe in and out. You’ll be asked to lie on a bed that moves into the CT scanner which moves a few millimetres at a time until the scan is finished, which will take 20 minutes. The scanner consists of a ring that rotates around a small section of your body as you pass through it. Unlike an MRI scanner, it doesn't surround your whole body at once so you won’t feel enclosed.

We are extremely grateful to have had Mike Joyce visit our hospital to receive his Calcium Score CT Scan and raise awareness of how important it is for men over 40 to get their hearts checked, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. This quick and easy check could save your life.

Click here to find out more about the Heart CT Calcium Score