This post does not substitute medical advice. Please consult with your doctor.

I like data. It’s empowering. Data broadens my view. It limits guesswork and assumptions. It opens the door for problem solving, choices, and decisions. Information is agency.

Ignorance is bliss? Not for me.

So when I heard Dr. Joel Kahn talking about the coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan on a podcast recently, I decided to ask my doctor for a radiology appointment. I was also due for some bloodwork she requested last year, so the timing was right to include the scan in my Care Plan.*

I have a family history of heart disease. Requesting this test was an easy ‘sell’ to my doctor.

What’s a calcium score test?

“A calcium score test is a CT scan that looks at how much calcium is in your coronary arteries. Calcium in your heart’s arteries can tell you if you have a buildup of a waxy, fatty substance (plaque) that can narrow or block them. This means you could have atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease), which could lead to a heart attack.”

[source]

Who’s it for?

“Calcium score testing results could help you if you’re between ages 40 and 70 and at increased risk for heart disease but don’t have symptoms.”

Increased risk includes:

Family history of heart disease
History of smoking now or in the past
History of high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure
BMI higher than 25
Inactive lifestyle

“If you’re younger than 40 years old and high cholesterol runs in your family, you might consider calcium score testing.”

[source]

Test frequency

“You may see a benefit from having a calcium score test every three to five years, according to studies. It’s only helpful to repeat a scan if you had a normal score the first time and want to know if your risk is still low. It’s not helpful to repeat the test if you ever had abnormal results before,” according to Cleveland Clinic.

My results

Calcium score: 19

March 26, 2025 CT CARDIAC SCORING results

Calcium score ranges

0 —> No plaque
1 - 10 —> Small amount of plaque
11-100 —> Some plaque
101-400 —> Moderate plaque
>400 —> Large amount of plaque

Recommended reading

This resource from the University of Maryland Medical Center contains a more detailed description of the likelihood of heart disease and heart attack risk at each score range.

79th percentile for coronary artery disease. Hold up, wait a minute

(song link for my fellow Gen X’s, fun break 🤸)

I’m writing this post prior to having a conversation with my doctor about the results. I won’t make assumptions about what this means for now. I’ll update this post once I have more information from my doctor.

As I write this, I have zero anxiety about having coronary artery disease because I know I’m doing everything I can today to minimize my risk. But I like things to make sense and that percentage isn’t making sense. The math isn’t mathing.

Can calcium in our heart’s arteries reduce over time? No.

Can we adopt a lifestyle that keeps it where it is? Based on my score of 19, that’s my plan.

The lifestyle I share with you in this blog is not the lifestyle I had for at least two decades of my life, prior to age ~40. So I’m stuck with a calcium score of 19. It seems low-ish. I would have preferred 0-10.

Why care?

We have control over our lifestyles. We make lifestyle decisions in every hour of every day.

*Care Plan — One Medical jargon for requested and previous appointments and tests.

Thanks for reading!

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What’s a calcium score and why did I get mine tested?