The Calcium Score Test has become increasingly common, in the same way the DEXA scan has grown in popularity. The test looks at the amount of calcium located in the coronary arteries, offering an excellent indication of heart-related risks. This article goes into more detail about a Calcium Score Test, looking at what exactly it is, how it works, and the benefits it can provide.
What is a Calcium Score Test?
Also known as a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) scan, the test uses a non-invasive technique to see how much calcified plaque exists in the heart vessels. The coronary arteries are crucial for cardiovascular health. They’re responsible for moving oxygenated blood into your heart muscle, a critical requirement for the heart to function correctly.
The test relies on a CT scan directed at the chest. This helps to reveal details of the heart. During the CT scan, calcification in the coronary arteries can be seen. This allows a medical professional to determine whether there’s a concerning amount of calcification in the coronary arteries.
Why You Should Consider a Calcium Score Test
A Calcium Score Test can be critical in determining if you have a high risk for cardiovascular events. This is particularly relevant for individuals who are 40 or older. The test is considered particularly valuable when it is hard to determine whether you have a high or low cardiovascular risk based on other tests, like a cholesterol panel. You might hear your doctor say you fall into the middle of the risk range, so it’s difficult to determine if any preventative measures are needed.
When a CT scan is used to do a Calcium Score Test, it will be significantly easier to view this risk. If there’s a high level of calcification, a healthcare provider may suggest treatment to prevent a stroke or heart attack. This is because the calcification inside your arteries can cause a significant restriction of blood flow to your heart and other areas of your body, such as the brain. When this happens, the heart muscle is deprived of oxygenated blood, which can cause serious harm.
Understanding who is advised to get a Calcium Score Test is important. While it can be useful in cases where a doctor already determines you’re not at the low or high risk for cardiovascular events, there are other cases where it’s a very valuable test.
This includes cases where you have a family history of cardiovascular disease.
If you’ve been told you have high cholesterol or hypertension in the past, then it’s also a good idea to get a Calcium Score Test done on a regular basis. Diabetics are also at risk, so this is another category of individuals who should consider these tests.
Other than this, criteria that can also be considered essential for getting a calcium score test include:
● Having a BMI over 25, especially if it crosses the 30 mark.
● Living a sedentary lifestyle.
● Smoking.
Peter Attia has also covered this test extensively, mentioning that it is gaining a lot of recognition in various departments of the medical industry.
What Do the Test Results Mean?
Following the CT scan and analysis, you’ll get a result that provides an overview of whether you have atherosclerosis. This chronic disease affects the arteries, causing them to become narrowed and hardened. As discussed earlier, this buildup of plaque, which consists of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances, can restrict blood flow and lead to serious health problems. The test is only one measurement used in determining the presence and severity of atherosclerosis, but in some people, it can be very valuable.
A score of zero is preferable. This means there’s no calcification in the coronary arteries, which is what you want to aim for.
Here are the indications for non-zero scores:
● 1 to 99: Mild atherosclerosis
● 100 to 399: Moderate atherosclerosis
● 400 or higher: Severe atherosclerosis
A higher level of calcification means coronary arteries are narrowed at a more severe level. This can be an indication of an increased risk for stroke and heart attacks, as well as cause damage to the heart muscle.
One thing to note is that this is only one measurement that should be used when determining your overall cardiovascular health and risks. This is because not all forms of plaque are detectable when you undergo a CT scan for a Calcium Score Test. For example, the scan isn’t able to provide an accurate indication of soft plaque, which can also be a contributing factor to atherosclerosis.
Conclusion
A Calcium Score Test can be incredibly helpful in understanding cardiovascular health, especially the risk of atherosclerosis. The test can be critical in determining if you have a high risk for cardiovascular events. While it’s not the only system to be used for a health analysis of the cardiovascular system, it is still highly valuable and should be considered when assessing general health and longevity.
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Author
Bio
Laila is the Co-founder and CEO of Fitnescity.
She is an early adopter and advocate of personal health tracking. Her work on the topic has appeared in numerous media outlets and venues such as Stanford Medicine X, MIT, NYU, Harvard, Forbes, the United Nations, Future Healthcare Week and HyperWellbeing. She was named one of the top 18 female leaders in the NYC Tech Scene, a Legatum fellow in Entrepreneurial Leadership and a MasterCard Foundation fellow at MIT. Prior to Fitnescity, she was a founding employee at Dataxis, a global data analysis firm. Laila has an MBA from MIT Sloan. As an undergraduate, she studied engineering and management at Télécom ParisTech.