CAC is pretty common, but I prefer Coronary CT Angiography, which is much more detailed CT of the heart and coronary arteries using IV contrast. It's a bit more radiation, but it shows soft plaque and arterial narrowing, which CAC does not.

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quantumwoke 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

It's better, but the contrast and much higher radiation dose compared to CAC carry their own risks. Individuals can evaluate their own risk but I wouldn't get this test under the age of 40 or 45 or so unless I had diabetes.

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Mistletoe 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

How do you get one and what is the cost?

	▲	justlikereddit 5 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		A CAC scan is a non-contrast CT scan and a coronary angiography is a contrast CT scan. They are both ECG gated scans of the heart otherwise so they're pretty much the same scan area and same scan duration, if you're hooked for a Coronary CT angiography you can easily get the CAC at the same time by doing a scan sweep before contrast administration (at the cost of 2 minutes of time and an extra dose of radiation) Though the logistics surrounding contrast administration makes it a bit more fiddly with a slightly higher risk profile.
	▲	IAmGraydon 5 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		I got one a couple of years ago when I was 41 due to a recurring palpitation and non-standard EKG reading. They are more commonly used to really get a good view of things before heart surgery, but it really depends upon your doctor. The cost usually ranges from $300 to $1,000.

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rsanek 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

seeing soft plaque is critical, as is the structure of vessels such as the aorta. highly recommend getting the more expensive test.