Radiation dose of cardiac CT - what is the evidence?

Current evidence and most pertinent literature on the radiation dose of cardiac computed tomography (CT) for the noninvasive assessment of coronary artery disease are reviewed. The various means for adjusting CT protocols to lower the radiation to a level that is as low as reasonably achievable are discussed. It is shown that for the target population of cardiac CT, the direct visualization of the heart and coronary arteries outweighs the hypothetical risk of the investigation, provided that indications are prudent and the protocols appropriate. (orig.)