Coronary artery calcium scoring: Its practicality and clinical utility in primary care

Parth Parikh; Nishant Shah; Haitham Ahmed; Paul Schoenhagen; Maan Fares

doi:10.3949/ccjm.85a.17097

Coronary artery calcium scoring: Its practicality and clinical utility in primary care

Cleve Clin J Med. 2018 Sep;85(9):707-716. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.85a.17097.

Authors

Parth Parikh^{1

2}, Nishant Shah³, Haitham Ahmed^{3

4}, Paul Schoenhagen^{5

6}, Maan Fares^{7

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
² Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
³ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁴ Assistant Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁵ Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Imaging Institute, and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁶ Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
⁷ Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. faresm@ccf.org.

PMID: 30192734
DOI: 10.3949/ccjm.85a.17097

Abstract

Coronary artery calcium scoring is useful as a risk-stratification tool in coronary artery disease, and it outperforms other risk-assessment methods. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines give the test a IIB recommendation in clinical scenarios in which risk stratification is uncertain. However, if the test is not used in the appropriate clinical setting, misinterpretation of the results can lead to unnecessary cardiac testing. This review provides the primary care provider with basic knowledge about the test's clinical utility, interpretation, risks, and limitations.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Calcinosis / complications
Calcinosis / diagnosis*
Coronary Artery Disease / etiology*
Coronary Vessels / pathology*
Humans
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Predictive Value of Tests
Primary Health Care / methods*
Primary Health Care / standards
Risk Assessment / methods
Risk Assessment / standards
Risk Factors
Severity of Illness Index*