Coronary Artery Calcium Score

Non-contrast ECG-gated cardiac CT to calculate the Agatston coronary calcium score — a validated predictor of future heart attack risk. The GE Revolution GSI enables fast, low-radiation acquisition of the coronary territories. A score of zero effectively excludes near-term major cardiac events. No contrast injection. No referral required.

The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score examination at Affidea Praha quantifies calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries using a brief non-contrast cardiac CT. The Agatston calcium score produced by this examination is one of the best-validated non-invasive predictors of future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) — independent of traditional risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking status, and body weight. The scan is performed on the GE Revolution GSI CT scanner using ECG-gating to synchronise image acquisition to the cardiac cycle, which virtually eliminates motion artefact in the coronary vessels. Because no contrast injection is required, the examination involves minimal preparation and no risk of contrast reactions. The total scan time is under ten seconds, with the full appointment — including positioning and preparation — taking approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The resulting Agatston score is interpreted against age- and sex-matched population percentiles. A score of zero indicates the absence of detectable coronary calcification and is associated with a very low risk of near-term cardiac events, providing strong reassurance to patients and clinicians considering preventive medical treatment. Scores between 1 and 100 indicate mild plaque burden; scores above 100 suggest moderate disease warranting preventive intervention; scores above 400 indicate extensive calcification with significantly elevated event risk. Large retrospective studies have demonstrated that calcium scoring can reclassify patients initially deemed intermediate risk by Framingham-based calculators — upgrading some to high risk (warranting aggressive prevention) and downgrading others (avoiding unnecessary statin or aspirin treatment). The report issued by Affidea Praha's radiologists includes the raw Agatston score, a percentile ranking, and clinical interpretation with next-step recommendations for cardiologist follow-up where indicated.