By Everything Lifestyle Staff

Heart disease risk

Your Calcium Score – What It Is and Why It Matters

Jan 21, 2025 | 6:52 AM

The amount of calcification in your arteries may show whether you have heart disease.

Not sure if you’re at risk for heart disease? A calcium score test may provide some answers. This non-invasive test provides information about whether plaque is building up in the arteries of your heart and can indicate whether you have coronary artery disease (CAD) or are at an increased risk for heart attack before any symptoms appear.

What is a calcium score test?

A calcium score test is a CT scan of your chest that shows whether there is any calcification in the arteries in and around your heart. The more calcification that appears, the more likely that plaque is building up in your arteries, a fatty substance that narrows arteries or can even block them. So the higher your calcium score, the more evidence there is of coronary artery disease and the higher your risk for a heart attack.

What do the results mean?

Heart disease risk

Your Calcium Score - What It Is and Why It Matters

19h ago

serious condition

Why More Kids and Teens Have Eating Disorders Now

19h ago

seductive charm

Listen: Reconnect with your feminine energy

19h ago

You will get a score based on how much calcification is found in your heart’s arteries. The higher the score, the more likely you are to have coronary artery disease and the higher your heart attack risk. Here is a guide for how your calcium score is evaluated:

• Zero – no calcification and low risk of heart attack
• Under 100 – mild calcification
• 101 to 400 – moderate calcification
• Over 400 – severe calcification and high risk of heart attack

What should you do once you know your calcium score?

Your doctor will discuss the results of your calcium score test with you. If your score is zero, there is no evidence of heart disease and no treatment is usually required, as long as you have no symptoms. If your score is above zero, lifestyle changes such as eating more heart-healthy meals, exercising more, reducing stress and quitting smoking, may be recommended. You may also be prescribed a statin to manage your cholesterol level and other tests or treatments may be suggested. A calcium score test is only one indicator of heart health and may not be the best way to evaluate your heart disease risk.

Why would you need a calcium score test?

This non-invasive test gives you and your doctor valuable information about the health of your coronary arteries and your risk of heart attack. If you already know you are at a high risk of coronary artery disease or have symptoms that make this condition likely, you may not need to have your calcium score checked. If you have a very low risk of risk of heart disease, you also may not need the test. But if you are unsure of your risk, this quick test can provide information about the health of your coronary arteries. It is most often recommended for people aged 40 to 70 who are at an increased risk for heart disease but don’t yet have any symptoms.

What increases your risk of heart disease?

You may be at an increased risk of coronary artery disease if you:

• Have high blood cholesterol or high cholesterol
• Have diabetes
• Are overweight or obese
• Smoke (or are a former smoker)
• Are inactive
• Have a family history of heart disease

If you are unsure of your heart disease risk, talk to your primary doctor or cardiologist about whether a calcium score test is right for you.

_—

_{Copyright 2024-2025 © Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Health eCooks® Heart Healthy Recipes® is a registered trademark of Baldwin Publishing, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein without the express approval of Baldwin Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited.}

_{Medical Review: Perry Pitkow, MD}