Coronary Calcium Score

Calcium score alone is more predictive than all other risk factors (increased cholesterol, reduced high-density lipoprotein, history of smoking, or hypertension) in assessing the risk of developing symptomatic coronary disease. The test is non-invasive and the imaging only takes a few minutes to perform.

Since calcium is a marker of coronary artery disease (CAD), the amount of calcium detected on a cardiac CT scan is a useful statistic. Additionally, the presence of plaque on your artery walls directly correlates with your risk of having a heart attack. Knowing your coronary calcium score may help you determine your risk for future cardiac events and help you make lifestyle changes and treatment decisions.

• Any patient with borderline indications for prevention therapy (i.e., elevated lipids) who is undecided about taking necessary medication or committing to aggressive treatment.
• Males over 40 / females over 50 with one or more of the following risk factors:
  • Family history of heart disease
  • Smoking
  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • Overweight
• Post-menopausal women under 50

• You will be given a gown to change into and then taken into the CT room.
• The technologist will position you on the bed for your scan.
• Coronary calcium scoring does not require iodinated contrast.
• The technologist will place EKG leads on your chest to monitor your heart rate.
• You will be asked to hold your breath to obtain specific images.
• One of our radiologists will review the exam results and send a detailed report to your doctor. We try our best to send the results as soon as possible, usually within one business day.

Coronary calcium scoring usually only take a couple minutes to perform. Your entire visit for this exam will take less than 30 minutes.