Staying Healthy
Look inside your heart
Coronary artery calcium scans can reveal dangerous plaque buildup in your heart’s arteries.
The traditional measures to gauge heart disease risk, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, don’t always tell the whole story. Sometimes you and your doctor need more information.
An increasingly used test to predict your chance of heart attack or stroke is a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan. It measures the amount of calcified plaque in the heart’s arteries, high levels of which suggest higher overall plaque buildup.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
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