Coronary Calcium Scoring CT

ECG-gated non-contrast CT of the heart measuring coronary artery calcification as an Agatston score — a validated marker of atherosclerotic plaque burden and future cardiovascular event risk. The scan requires no contrast injection, takes under ten minutes, and delivers a radiation dose below 1 mSv.

Coronary calcium scoring is one of the strongest independent predictors of future myocardial infarction and cardiac death, superior to traditional risk factors alone. The Agatston score quantifies the total calcium burden across all coronary arteries — left main, left anterior descending, circumflex, and right coronary — and stratifies patients into risk categories that directly inform the intensity of preventive therapy. A score of zero indicates no detectable calcification and is associated with a very low short-term event rate (negative predictive value above 95% for events over the next 5-10 years). Scores above 100 indicate moderate plaque burden, and scores above 400 place the patient in a high-risk category where aggressive lipid-lowering, antiplatelet therapy, and lifestyle modification are strongly indicated regardless of traditional risk score. HELIMED performs calcium scoring using prospective ECG gating, which acquires images only during the diastolic phase when the heart is relatively still. This eliminates motion artefact and keeps radiation dose very low — typically 0.5 to 1.0 mSv. No contrast is needed, no fasting is required, and the scan itself takes 10 to 15 seconds of breath-holding. The entire appointment including setup and reporting takes under 15 minutes. Results are delivered as both the Agatston score and a percentile ranking adjusted for age and sex.