Coronary Calcium Score (CAC)

Non-contrast CT measuring coronary artery calcium to quantify atherosclerotic plaque burden and stratify cardiovascular risk. Performed on the SOMATOM Pro.Pulse Dual Source scanner. No contrast, fast results.

The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score at St. Catherine Specialty Hospital quantifies the total burden of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries using a dedicated non-contrast CT scan on the Siemens SOMATOM Pro.Pulse with Dual Source technology. The Agatston scoring method produces a standardised numerical result: a score of zero indicates no detectable calcification and is associated with a very low 10-year cardiovascular event rate (negative predictive value above 95%), while scores above 100 indicate moderate plaque burden and scores above 400 place the patient in a high-risk category warranting aggressive preventive therapy. The SOMATOM Pro.Pulse brings a meaningful technical advantage to calcium scoring. Its Dual Source architecture achieves the fast temporal resolution needed to freeze cardiac motion and resolve calcified deposits clearly in each coronary territory — left main, left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary artery — without the risk of misregistration artefact that can affect single-source scanners on faster heart rates. The scanner's tin-filter tin technology maintains extremely low radiation dose: a typical CAC scan on this platform delivers 0.5–1.0 mSv, well below the reference standard. No intravenous contrast is required and no fasting is needed, making the examination fast to book and easy to complete. CAC scoring is most valuable for patients in the intermediate cardiovascular risk category — those where conventional risk calculators based on age, cholesterol, blood pressure, and smoking status leave genuine clinical uncertainty about whether to initiate statin therapy or aspirin. A measured calcium score directly reflects arterial atherosclerotic disease that has already formed, not merely risk factors that predict it. European Society of Cardiology guidelines and ACC/AHA prevention guidelines both support CAC scoring as a reclassification tool for primary prevention decision-making. At St. Catherine, CAC scoring is frequently combined with or used as a stepping stone toward full coronary CT angiography, which provides additional information about non-calcified (soft) plaque and coronary stenosis not visible on the calcium-only scan. The hospital's dedicated international patient service makes it straightforward for medical travellers to book and complete a same-day cardiac screening visit — CAC score results are rapid, and the scan itself takes under 10 minutes in the scanner. JCI accreditation, English-speaking radiologists, and EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive compliance underpin the hospital's medical tourism infrastructure.