What is CT Coronary Artery Calcium Score?

A CT Coronary Artery Calcium Score is a non-invasive medical test to obtain information on the presence, location and extent of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. It is measured by taking a special computed tomography (CT) scan of the heart. The scan shows the amount of hardening of the artery wall (the disease that causes this hardening is called atherosclerosis). The results of the scan make it possible to estimate the risk of a heart attack or stroke (brain attack) in the next 5–10 years. The higher the calcium score, the higher the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

A high calcium score does not mean that you will have a heart attack, only that there is a greater likelihood of having one than someone with a low score. Even a person with a score of zero could have a heart attack.

What and who will benefit from the Coronary Artery Calcium Score?

The benefit of this Coronary Artery Calcium Score is to gain better understanding on the relative risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the mere future, and using that information to decide on approaches to reduce the risk.
Your doctor may decide that a second calcium score scan after a few years might be helpful to compare the results with the previous scan.

The calcium score are most informative for women aged between 35 and 70 years and men aged between 40 and 60 years in terms of providing information about cardiovascular risk, or the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Scores in patients outside these age ranges do not have any value in assessing increased risk.

Who will not benefit from a Coronary Artery Calcium Score?

The calcium score is of no benefit to someone who has already had a heart attack, coronary bypass surgery or a coronary artery stent. These events have already indicated a high risk. A calcium score cannot be used to see if any treatment is working or not.