Cardiac tests, such as the calcium score, can assist us in determining your risk of heart disease, but this does not imply that you should have every available test as frequently as possible. It is critical to understand which tests are suitable and when they should be performed.

What Exactly Is A Calcium Score Cardio Scan?

One of the procedures that may be performed to measure your risk of heart disease is the ct calcium score test. It is a type of scan that may determine the quantity of calcium in your coronary arteries. The coronary arteries feed blood to the heart, allowing it to continue to beat forcefully and regularly. As part of the plaque deposits inside the arteries, calcium can accumulate here. If there is a lot of plaque, it might make it difficult for blood to flow smoothly. We can determine how badly the coronary arteries are harmed since we can assess the quantity of calcium in the plaque.

Who Should Get A Calcium Score Test?

For cardiac screening, calcium values are not usually required. If you have a low risk of heart disease and no symptoms, your doctor may not need to do this test. If you are at a higher risk owing to your age, lifestyle, or family history, it might be an important element of your care.

The calcium score test findings can help us predict your risk of developing heart disease:

• A score of 0 indicates that there are no calcium deposits and that you are at low risk of developing heart disease in the following 5 years.
• Scores of 400 or above indicate that there is some calcium buildup in the arteries, which may indicate that you need to make some lifestyle adjustments to prevent them from worsening.
• Calcium scores of 400 or higher indicate a high risk of significant heart illness, such as angina or a heart attack, in the next ten years.
• Calcium scores of 1000 or higher indicate a one-in-four likelihood of getting serious heart disease in the following year and require therapy to avoid this.

When Is A Calcium Score Scan Necessary?

When we want to know how well your coronary arteries are working, we can utilize the calcium score. It is a risk-free, non-invasive, and dependable test. However, getting unnecessary medical tests will cause you to worry and waste your time.

The calcium score scan is often conducted as a one-time test if your cardiologist believes you are at increased risk of heart disease owing to your age, lifestyle, or family history. However, if we need to monitor your condition, we can repeat the test. It is unlikely that your calcium score will change if it is very low or very high, but if it is reasonable, it may be worth repeating the scan to check whether it has changed. We may advise you to have another scan in 2-5 years, as well as make some lifestyle modifications to protect your arteries.