Heart Health
Calcium and heart disease: What's the connection?
Best known for boosting bone health, calcium also plays a role in diagnosing — and preventing — heart disease.
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
One test doctors use to better understand a person's risk of heart disease is a coronary artery calcium scan, a special type of CT scan. The test measures the amount of calcium in the walls of the heart's arteries to generate a calcium score. The higher the score, the greater the risk of having a heart attack.
Calcium makes up just a small part of the harmful buildup (known as plaque) that narrows the heart's arteries. "Plaque also contains cholesterol, inflammatory cells, and scar tissue," explains Dr. Rhanderson Cardoso, a cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. On a CT scan, the cholesterol is not visible, but the calcium is easy to see. Because there's a close correlation between the amount of calcium and the amount of plaque, a calcium score is a good indicator of plaque inside the arteries.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
