When Can Coronary Calcium Scans Predict Heart Attacks?
Many, but not all, atherosclerotic plaques contain calcium. In recent years, a test called EBCT (electron beam computed tomography), which measures the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries (CAC), has been used to assess a person’s risk of a heart attack. Studies have shown that the larger the amount of calcium in the coronary arteries, the greater the risk of a heart attack. Despite its widespread use, the value of this test remains controversial. In 2000, a joint statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology concluded that published studies could not answer whether EBCT was useful in identifying asymptomatic people who were at increased risk for heart attacks. Several years later a commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association by a physician at Harvard Medical School said the test should not be used in people with no symptoms of coronary heart disease. Another recent and quite different recommendation was made this yea
