Heart

For approximately 50% of patients with a disease of the coronary arteries of the heart, a heart attack is the first serious symptom. More than 50% of these patients die within a year. This disease, which primarily is a result of arteriosclerosis of the coronary arteries should possibly be diagnosed at a time where the therapy can still prevent or at least significantly delay a heart attack.

In fact, the so-called "calcium score" of the coronary arteries is a relevant risk factor among several others (hypertension, elevated blood lipids, smoking, family history, lack of exercise and stress) and can help to identify your personal risk in combination with those other risk factors. If there are no other risk factors, calcium score by itself is not a meaningful factor.

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Arteriosclerosis is mostly associated with a calcification of the arteries, therefore, it is necessary to quantify the total mass of calcium in the coronary arteries to determine the risk. Specifying the calcium score is quite simple. The heart will be scanned within 10 seconds and the now visible calcium can be measured. This method is called "calcium scoring".