Calcium Scoring: What It Is and How It Helps Heart Health

When you hear calcium scoring, a non-invasive CT scan that measures calcium deposits in heart arteries. Also known as a coronary calcium scan, it’s one of the most straightforward ways to find out if you’re at risk for a heart attack—even if you feel fine. This isn’t about bones or osteoporosis. It’s about the hidden buildup of plaque in your coronary arteries, the same arteries that supply blood to your heart muscle. Over time, cholesterol, fat, and other substances form plaque. When calcium gets trapped in that plaque, it hardens. That’s what calcium scoring detects.

Why does this matter? Because plaque can rupture without warning and trigger a clot, leading to a heart attack. Many people have no symptoms until it’s too late. Calcium scoring gives you a number—your Agatston score—that tells you how much calcified plaque is present. A score of zero means almost no plaque. A score over 100 suggests moderate buildup. Over 400 means significant disease. This isn’t guesswork. It’s based on real imaging, not just cholesterol levels or family history. It’s used by doctors to decide if someone needs statins, lifestyle changes, or more aggressive monitoring.

It’s not for everyone. If you’re young and healthy with no risk factors, you probably don’t need it. But if you’re over 40, have high blood pressure, smoke, have diabetes, or have a family history of early heart disease, this test can be a game-changer. It doesn’t involve needles or fasting. You lie on a table, hold your breath for 10 to 20 seconds, and that’s it. The radiation is low—less than a mammogram. And unlike stress tests or angiograms, it doesn’t show blockages yet. It shows the damage that’s already there, giving you time to act.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real, practical connections to this test. You’ll see how calcium scoring relates to medications like nifedipine, a calcium channel blocker used to treat high blood pressure and angina, and how managing blood pressure can slow plaque growth. You’ll read about how azilsartan, an ARB blood pressure medication with anti-inflammatory effects, might help reduce arterial damage in people with conditions like psoriasis. And you’ll learn how drug interactions, like those between proton pump inhibitors and antifungals, can affect your overall health in ways that indirectly impact heart risk. These aren’t random articles. They’re all tied to the same goal: helping you understand what’s really happening inside your body, so you can make smarter choices before it’s too late.