See whether plaque has already started—not only whether the cholesterol number looks “fine.”
A coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a rapid, non-contrast CT of the heart that measures calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. Calcium here is a footprint of atherosclerosis. Zero means no visible calcified plaque on that scan; higher scores mean more calcified burden and a higher statistical risk of a future event.
At Helix Advanced Medicine we use CAC when it changes intensity of prevention—statin or non-statin therapy, apoB targets, blood-pressure effort, and how often we follow you—not as a souvenir scan and not as a substitute for the emergency department.
What the number means in clinic
- 0 — no calcified plaque seen; in many asymptomatic patients this supports a less aggressive medication plan, unless Lp(a), diabetes, or symptoms say otherwise
- 1–99 — plaque is present; prevention gets more serious
- 100–399 — clinically important burden for most adults; lipid and risk-factor treatment is usually intensified
- 400+ — high burden; we treat like established atherosclerotic risk
