CAC risk refers to the likelihood of having heart disease or a heart attack as determined by your calcium scoring. This risk level is directly related to your calcium score.
Understanding CAC Risk
Based on calcium scoring, your likelihood of having heart disease or a heart attack correlates with your calcium scoring. The result of a calcium scoring test provides a score that indicates the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. This plaque is a sign of atherosclerosis, a disease where plaque builds up inside the arteries.
Essentially, the calcium score is used as an indicator of potential risk. According to the provided information:
- The lower your calcium score and percentile rank, the less likely you are to have a cardiac event compared to other men or women your age.
Therefore, a lower CAC score suggests a lower CAC risk, while a higher score implies a greater risk of future cardiac events.
How Calcium Scoring Relates to Risk
The key insight from calcium scoring, regarding risk, is the direct relationship between the score and the probability of future heart problems:
- A low calcium score suggests a low likelihood of a near-term cardiac event.
- Conversely, a higher calcium score points to a higher likelihood of heart disease or a heart attack.
Understanding this correlation helps individuals and healthcare providers assess potential cardiac risk based on this specific metric.
