Heart Calcium Scan – Coronary Artery Calcium Score

Plaque inside the arteries of your heart can eventually grow and restrict or block the flow of blood to the muscles of the heart. The measurement of calcified plaque with a heart scan may enable your doctor to identify possible coronary artery disease before you have signs and symptoms.

A heart scan is generally considered useful for people who have a known moderate risk of heart disease or when the risk is uncertain. There are different tools for an initial risk assessment, but all of them use factors, such as your age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and tobacco use. A moderate risk is generally defined as a 5 to 7.5 percent chance of a heart attack in the next 10 years or when the risk is calculated to be low, but there is a history of heart attacks at an early age in the family.

Read the full article at Mayo Clinic.

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