Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CAC)

Non-contrast CT to quantify coronary artery calcification and stratify cardiovascular risk. Does not require contrast agent. Recommended for patients with risk factors including diabetes, obesity, smoking, elevated cholesterol, or family history of cardiovascular disease. Fast, non-invasive, bookable as an individual additional service.

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring at Conradia Hamburg uses a dedicated non-contrast CT scan to measure the total burden of calcified atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries. The Agatston scoring method produces a standardised result — a CAC score of zero confers a very low 10-year cardiovascular event risk, while scores above 400 reflect extensive calcification and substantially elevated risk of myocardial infarction. Conradia's own clinical materials describe CAC as a technique that allows early-stage atherosclerosis to be detected or excluded, and recommend it specifically in the presence of risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, smoking, elevated cholesterol, or a family history of cardiovascular disease. These are precisely the intermediate-risk patients where standard calculators based on age, blood pressure, and cholesterol leave genuine clinical uncertainty — because the calcium score measures disease that has already developed, not merely risk factors that predict it. European Society of Cardiology guidelines support CAC scoring as an optional test to reclassify intermediate-risk patients and inform decisions around statin therapy initiation and aspirin use for primary prevention. Patients with a zero score — which is common in asymptomatic middle-aged adults — may safely defer pharmaceutical intervention and focus on lifestyle optimisation. Patients with elevated scores, particularly above 100, benefit from more intensive preventive treatment and closer clinical surveillance. The examination requires ECG gating to eliminate cardiac motion artefact and produces reliable, reproducible Agatston scores. Total scanner time is approximately 5–10 minutes. No intravenous contrast is used, which eliminates contrast allergy risk and simplifies preparation — patients can eat and drink normally before the examination. The radiologist report includes total Agatston score and per-vessel analysis of the left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries. At Conradia Hamburg, the CAC score is bookable as a standalone additional service or in combination with a check-up programme. Results are available same-day or within a few working days. The attending physician can discuss the findings in the context of the patient's overall cardiovascular risk profile. Appointments are conducted in German and English; free underground parking at Falkenried 88.