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What Is a Coronary Calcium Score?

A coronary calcium scan is also known as a heart scan and determines a coronary calcium score, according to the Mayo Clinic. The test is ordinarily done on people diagnosed with heart problems, as a high score is associated with heart disease.

  1. Basics

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, calcium is deposited in the walls of the heart along with cholesterol and fat. High coronary calcium scores may indicate high fat and cholesterol levels.

    Measures

    • The coronary calcium score measures the amount of calcium that has built up in the walls of the arteries.

    High Score

    • A high coronary calcium score indicates that there is too much calcium built up in arterial walls. This is often linked to heart disease.

    Low Score

    • A low coronary calcium score suggests that there is a normal or below-normal level of calcium built up in arterial walls. This may mean that there is no heart disease or that there is no immediate risk of a heart attack.

    Considerations

    • Having a low or high coronary calcium score does not completely determine whether or not heart disease is present. It is possible to suffer from heart disease while registering low calcium buildup in arteries.

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