Preventative Scanning Screening using the Coronary Artery Calcification Scan

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) scan (also known as calcium scan test)  is a CT scan of your heart that detects and measures the amount of calcium present in the walls of your coronary arteries. This allows CAC scans to be used as a preventive screening measure for coronary heart disease (CHD) to better manage at-risk and asymptomatic patients alike. A panel of expert cardiologists that presented during Right Care Initiative 2015 Summit provided us with data showing that use of CAC scanning can be used as a marker of CHD and improve outcomes.

The following algorithm is a recommendation from that panel:

CAC Expert Panel Algorithm

CAC Expert Panel – (Presentation) (Video Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3)

Right Care Initiative Research Team Subject Brief:Coronary Artery Calcium Heart CT Screening for Early Detection of Atherosclerotic Plaque: Measuring Heart Attack Risk to Determine Need for Preventive Medication

Screening: $150 cash price Coronary Artery CT Scans available at leading California medical centers in 3 major metro areas (San Jose; Sacramento; and Los Angeles):

  • Stanford Health Care; LA BIOMED IN Los Angeles; and UC Davis Medical Center Preventive Cardiology are lowering the barrier to receiving the coronary artery calcium scan as a preventive screening test by offering it to patients for a cash price of $150 to receive this precision prevention information for understanding patients’ actual risk profile.
  • Stanford Health Care Radiology Wellness Screening Program
  • LA BIOMED Medical Center Appointment line: (310) 222-2773; HTTPS://LABIOMED.ORG/MATTHEW-J-BUDOFF-MD
  • Gundersen Health System:
  • UC Davis Health Referrals for CT Coronary Calcium:
    • To Schedule appointments: Call 916-734-0655 or fax request to 916-734-2254. Include on fax or be prepared to provide on telephone: Full name, address, Date of Birth, telephone #, emergency contact (optional), Any Relevant Existing Diagnosis,  Exam Requested: CT Coronary Calcium Scoring.
    • Bring to test appointment: ID, Debit, Credit, or ATM card to be charged $150, or $150 cash.

Additional Literature on Guidelines, Treatment and Recommendations for Asymptomatic Adults and CAC Scores

Cardiovascular Risk Calculators:

  1. Astro-CHARM – 10-Year ASCVD Risk Calculator with Coronary Artery Calcium
  2. American College of Cardiology atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk calculator tool:

Supplemental Information:

Last Revised: 8/4/17