CARDIOVASCULAR
Coronary Calcium Score
Also known as CAC
What it is
The coronary artery calcium score is a low-dose CT scan that measures the amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries. Higher scores mean more established atherosclerotic burden. This is an imaging test, not a blood draw, and is ordered by referral to a local imaging center.
Why it matters
Blood markers estimate risk. A CAC score measures actual disease. A CAC of zero is a strong negative predictor of cardiovascular events for years; a high CAC in an otherwise "healthy" patient reframes the entire prevention conversation. GPLX refers appropriate patients for CAC to close the gap between calculated risk and observed disease.
Range GPLX watches for
A CAC of 0 is optimal. 1–10 is minimal, 11–100 is mild, 101–400 is moderate, and above 400 is severe. Interpretation depends on age, sex, and full cardiovascular risk. Your physician uses the score to calibrate prevention intensity.
This educational range is not a personal diagnostic threshold. Your physician interprets your result in context of your full biomarker panel, medications, symptoms, and history.
What abnormal values can suggest
If low
A low or zero CAC score is a strong reassurance signal for near-term cardiovascular risk and lets your physician right-size prevention accordingly.
If high
An elevated CAC score is a call to escalate prevention — not to panic. It reframes lipids, blood pressure, and metabolic markers with new urgency and often triggers a referral to preventive cardiology.
This marker is reviewed when clinically appropriate as part of physician-directed labs. Membership is $39.99/month; consultation is $30.
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