Calcium score

check icon Reference range:

Understanding the Calcium Score Biomarker

The Calcium Score, also known as the Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score, is a crucial biomarker used to evaluate the health of the coronary arteries and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). This test provides valuable insight into the presence and extent of calcified plaque within the walls of the coronary arteries, which supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

What is the Calcium Score?

The calcium score is determined using a specialized imaging test called a coronary calcium scan, performed with a computed tomography (CT) scanner. The test identifies and quantifies calcium deposits in the coronary arteries, which are indicative of atherosclerosis—a condition where plaques build up and can restrict blood flow, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.

How is the Calcium Score Calculated?

The calcium score is typically reported as an Agatston score, which considers:

  • The area of calcified plaque.

  • The density of calcium within the plaques.

The resulting score ranges from 0 to hundreds or even thousands, with higher scores indicating greater amounts of calcified plaque and a higher risk of CAD.

What Do Calcium Score Results Mean?

The calcium score is categorized as follows:

  • 0: No evidence of CAD. Very low risk of coronary artery disease.

  • 1-10: Minimal evidence of CAD. Low risk of coronary artery disease.

  • 11-100: Mild evidence of CAD. Low to moderate risk of coronary artery disease.

  • 101-400: Moderate evidence of CAD. Increased risk of coronary artery disease.

  • Over 400: Extensive evidence of CAD. High risk of coronary artery disease, requiring comprehensive medical evaluation and potential treatments.

Why is the Calcium Score Important?

The calcium score provides critical information about the state of coronary artery health, often before symptoms of CAD appear. It helps in:

  • Risk Stratification: Identifying individuals at higher risk for heart attacks.

  • Preventive Care: Guiding lifestyle modifications and preventive treatments, such as cholesterol-lowering medications or blood pressure control.

  • Treatment Planning: Supporting decision-making for more intensive interventions if needed.

Who Should Consider a Calcium Score Test?

This test is often recommended for individuals with intermediate risk of CAD based on traditional risk factors, such as:

  • Family history of heart disease.

  • High cholesterol levels.

  • High blood pressure.

  • Diabetes.

  • Smoking history.

  • Obesity or sedentary lifestyle.

It is not routinely recommended for individuals at very low or very high risk, as its utility in those groups is limited.

Limitations of the Calcium Score

While the calcium score is an invaluable tool, it has limitations:

  • Does Not Detect Non-Calcified Plaque: The test only measures calcified plaque, not soft or non-calcified plaques that can also pose a risk.

  • No Functional Assessment: It doesn’t assess how well the heart or arteries are functioning.

  • Radiation Exposure: Though minimal, the test involves exposure to a small amount of radiation.

Conclusion

The calcium score is a powerful biomarker for assessing coronary artery health and guiding preventive cardiovascular care. If you’re concerned about your heart health or have risk factors for CAD, consult your healthcare provider to determine if a calcium score test is appropriate for you. With early detection and proactive management, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and maintain a healthier, longer life.

All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.

Laboratories

Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place

We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.

lab corp logo
genova diagnostics logo
quest diagnostics logo
dutch test logo
doctors data logo
vibrant america logo
diagnostic solutions logo
zrt laboratory logo
the great plains laboratory logo
cyrex laboratories logo
spectracell logo

Pricing Table

decoration

Personal plans

$15/ month

Complete Plan

Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Begin with first report entered
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

$250/ once

Unlimited Account

Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track all results with visual tools
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export your full lab history anytime
  • Share results securely with anyone
  • Receive 10 reports entered for you
  • Skip the $15/month subscription — no recurring payments ever

$45/ month

Pro Monthly

Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports

  • Import lab results from any provider
  • Track lab results for multiple clients
  • Customize reference ranges per client
  • Export lab histories and reports
  • Begin with first report entered by us
  • Cancel or upgrade anytime

About membership

What's included in a Healthmatters membership

microscope icon Import Lab Results from Any Source

person icon See Your Health Timeline

book icon Understand What Your Results Mean

textbook icon

textbook icon Visualize Your Results

folder icon

folder icon

card icon Securely Share With Anyone You Trust

Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story

What Healthmatters Members Are Saying

5 stars rating

I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with  any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.

Anthony

Unlimited Plan Member since 2021

5 stars rating

What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!

Karin

Advanced Plan Member since 2020

5 stars rating

As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!

Paul

Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024

Use promo code to save 10% off any plan.

Frequently asked questions

Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.

  • Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
  • Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.

With a Healthmatters account, you can:

  • Upload lab reports from any lab
  • View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
  • Track trends and monitor changes over time
  • Customize your reference ranges
  • Export and share your full lab history
  • Access your results anytime, from any device

Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.

Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:

  • The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
  • GI-MAP,
  • The NutrEval FMV®,
  • The ION Profile,
  • Amino Acids Profile,
  • Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
  • Organic Acids Test,
  • Organix Comprehensive Profile,
  • Toxic Metals,
  • Complete Blood Count (CBC),
  • Metabolic panel,
  • Thyroid panel,
  • Lipid Panel,
  • Urinalysis,
  • And many, many more.

You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.

If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.

shield icon

We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.

At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

gdpr compliance image hipaa compliance image