Heart Health
Calcium and heart disease: What's the connection?
Best known for boosting bone health, calcium also plays a role in diagnosing — and preventing — heart disease.
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
One test doctors use to better understand a person's risk of heart disease is a coronary artery calcium scan, a special type of CT scan. The test measures the amount of calcium in the walls of the heart's arteries to generate a calcium score. The higher the score, the greater the risk of having a heart attack.
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About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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