Coronary artery calcium and cardiovascular prevention

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a widely available method for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis. This review finds CAC scoring strongly predicts future cardiovascular events and may refine risk assessment beyond traditional factors. Guidelines recommend CAC scoring mainly for low-intermediate-risk patients, while evidence for treatment decisions based solely on CAC is limited. Broader use of CAC, including standardized reporting of routine chest CT, holds promise and may enable earlier prevention, but requires randomized trials.