X-rays themselves do not directly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Instead, they are diagnostic tools that use ionizing radiation to create images of the inside of the body, including the chest and heart area. The amount of radiation from a typical chest X-ray is very low—around 0.1 millisieverts, which is a small fraction of the natural background radiation people are exposed to annually. This low level of radiation is generally considered safe and unlikely to cause harm or increase cardiovascular risk in any meaningful way.
However, it is important to understand that while X-rays expose the body to some radiation, the doses used in routine diagnostic imaging are carefully controlled to minimize risk. The radiation from a single chest X-ray is much lower than that from more intensive imaging tests like CT scans, which can expose patients to several millisieverts of radiation. Even with repeated imaging, the cumulative radiation dose from standard X-rays remains relatively low compared to other sources of radiation exposure.
The concern about radiation exposure from medical imaging primarily relates to the potential for DNA damage that could increase cancer risk over time, rather than directly causing cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease risk is more strongly linked to factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and genetics rather than low-dose radiation from diagnostic X-rays.
Interestingly, X-rays and related imaging technologies like CT scans are actually valuable tools in assessing cardiovascular disease risk. For example, specialized CT scans can measure calcium deposits in the coronary arteries—a key indicator of atherosclerosis and heart disease risk. This coronary calcium scoring helps doctors identify individuals at higher risk of heart attacks or strokes, enabling early intervention through lifestyle changes or medications. In this way, X-ray-based imaging contributes to cardiovascular health by improving risk detection and prevention strategies.
Artificial intelligence is also being developed to analyze chest X-rays to predict the risk of heart attacks or strokes over the next decade. This approach leverages routine imaging data to identify subtle signs of cardiovascular risk that might not be obvious to human readers, potentially improving early diagnosis and targeted prevention.
In summary, the radiation dose from routine X-rays is very low and does not increase cardiovascular disease risk. Instead, X-rays and CT scans play a crucial role in detecting and managing heart disease by revealing structural and calcified changes in the heart and arteries. The benefits of these imaging tests in diagnosing and preventing cardiovascular problems generally outweigh the minimal risks associated with their radiation exposure.