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Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Role of computed tomography screening for detection of coronary artery disease
Donghee Han1, Ji Hyun Lee1, Bríain Ó Hartaigh1
1Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York; Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
Insights
Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning effectively predicts cardiovascular risk and aids in early coronary artery disease (CAD) detection. A zero CAC score indicates lower risk, while CAC scanning guides treatment decisions in symptomatic patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Preventive Cardiology
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death.
- Accurate prediction and prevention of CAD remain significant challenges.
- Computed tomography (CT) offers noninvasive cardiovascular imaging solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning in CAD prediction and management.
- To assess CAC as a risk surrogate in asymptomatic individuals.
- To explore the utility of CAC scanning in symptomatic patients and in combination with other CT screening methods.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing computed tomography (CT) for noninvasive imaging.
- Assessing coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores.
- Analyzing CAC as a predictor of cardiovascular outcomes.
- Evaluating CAC's role in both asymptomatic and symptomatic populations.
Main Results:
- CAC scanning effectively predicts adverse cardiovascular outcomes and identifies early CAD.
- A zero CAC score signifies substantially lower CAD risk, indicating protection.
- CAC scanning provides incremental benefit over traditional risk factors.
- CAC scanning aids in guiding treatment decisions for symptomatic individuals.
Conclusions:
- Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scanning is a valuable tool for cardiovascular risk assessment and CAD detection.
- CAC scoring offers prognostic information beyond traditional risk factors.
- Combined CT screening strategies, like lung cancer screening with CAC, may enhance efficiency and reduce costs and radiation exposure.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Western populations, and the prediction and prevention of CAD is an inherent challenge facing current health care societies. Computed tomography (CT) has emerged as a noninvasive imaging tool in the field of cardiovascular disease. Notably, CT scanning for detection of coronary artery calcium (CAC) has proven useful in predicting adverse cardiovascular outcomes as well as early identification of CAD. In asymptomatic persons undergoing screening for CAD, CAC is well established as a surrogate of CAD risk and has demonstrated incremental benefit over and above traditional risk prediction tools. In addition, a zero CAC score has shown to reflect a substantially lower risk of CAD and may therefore be considered an important marker of CAD protection. Irrespective of screening in the asymptomatic population, CAC scanning has also displayed a beneficial role in the symptomatic population, specifically as gatekeeper in guiding further treatment decision making. Further still, the combination of alternative CT screening strategies such as CT screening for lung cancer with CAC scanning may hold particular promise as an effective screening approach by lowering overall health costs as well as limiting radiation exposure.
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