Coronary Calcium Score

Non-contrast cardiac CT that quantifies coronary artery calcification to produce an Agatston cardiovascular risk score. Performed on a Siemens SOMATOM Definition Edge 128 with ECG gating. No contrast agent. Results same day.

The coronary calcium score at Neuromed Timisoara measures the degree of calcification in the coronary arteries using non-contrast, ECG-triggered computed tomography on a Siemens SOMATOM Definition Edge 128. Calcified plaques in the coronary walls are a direct indicator of underlying atherosclerosis — the process responsible for the majority of heart attacks — and the Agatston score derived from the scan provides a standardised numerical measure of total calcium burden that maps directly to cardiovascular risk. Neuromed has accumulated one of the largest CT cardiac volumes in the Timis region, with more than 30,000 noninvasive cardiac and vascular investigations and over 3,000 coronary CT angiographies on record since 1999. The centre's accreditation as the fifth Siemens Training Centre in Europe in 2008 reflects the depth of subspecialty expertise that has been built over that period. For the calcium score examination, no contrast agent is administered. The patient lies on the scanner table while ECG leads are attached to synchronise image acquisition to the cardiac cycle, eliminating motion blur from the beating heart. The Siemens SOMATOM Definition Edge 128's 0.33-second rotation time and 128-row detector configuration allow the entire heart volume to be captured in a single breath-hold of approximately ten seconds, at a very low radiation dose. The resulting dataset is processed to calculate the Agatston score — a weighted sum of calcium deposit density and area across all four major coronary arteries. A score of zero means no detectable calcification and is associated with a very low risk of a coronary event over the following five years. Scores above 400 indicate heavy calcification burden and correlate with substantially elevated risk, typically prompting a cardiology consultation and consideration of preventive therapy including statins, aspirin, and lifestyle modification. Intermediate scores (1–400) guide shared decision-making between patient and physician about the need for further investigation or preventive treatment. Beyond risk stratification, the calcium score result also includes the distribution of calcification by individual coronary artery (left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary artery), the calcium mass, and the hydroxyapatite content — a level of detail useful for serial comparison in follow-up studies. Preparation requires avoiding caffeine and alcohol before the scan. Standard cardiovascular medications are maintained. Booking is by telephone on +40 256 292 637 or via the contact form at neuromed.ro/en/contact.