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The score is the total area of calcium deposits and the density of the calcium. A score of zero means no calcium is seen in the heart. It suggests a low chance of developing a heart attack in the future. When calcium is present, the higher the score, the higher the risk of heart disease.
Your calcium score gives your health care team an idea of how much plaque is in your heart arteries and may help predict your risk of a future heart attack. Your CAC score can help you determine your risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s particularly helpful if you’re at “intermediate” risk.
A calcium score test is a CT (computed tomography) scan that looks at how much calcium is in your coronary arteries. Calcium in your heart’s arteries can tell you if you have a buildup of a waxy, fatty substance (plaque) that can narrow or block them.
Cardiac CT for calcium scoring. For a coronary calcium scan, you'll slide into a CT machine so that it can take pictures that pick up calcium deposits in your arteries. (Photo Credit:...
Cardiac computed tomography (CT) for Calcium Scoring uses special x-ray equipment to produce pictures of the coronary arteries to determine if they are blocked or narrowed by the buildup of plaque – an indicator for atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease (CAD).
In asymptomatic patients without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the presence of coronary artery calcification (CAC) on computed tomography (CT) scans is a well-validated measure of subclinical atherosclerosis.
What Do The CT Coronary Artery Calcium Scores Mean? A calcium score of 0 means there is no calcified plaque in the arteries. A calcium score of 1-10 means minimal plaque. A calcium score of 11-100 means mild plaque. A calcium score of 101-400 means moderate plaque. A calcium score of >400 means severe plaque.
These calcifications can be detected by CT imaging because of their opacity to x-rays. This severity can be presented as an Agatston score or coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. The CAC score is an independent marker of risk for cardiac events, cardiac mortality, and all-cause mortality. [2]
A cardiac CT calcium score, also known as a coronary calcium scan, is a quick, convenient and noninvasive way of evaluating the amount of calcified (hard) plaque in your heart vessels. The level of calcium equates to the extent of plaque build-up in your arteries.
Computed tomography (CT) acquisition, CAC scoring methodologies and clinical outcomes are the primary basis for the recommendations in this guideline. This guideline is intended to assist healthcare providers in clinical decision making.