Cardiac calcium scoring is also called coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS). CACS uses a CT Scan to find the buildup of calcium on the walls of the arteries of the heart. The test identifies your level of deposits and produces a calcium score.

Normally, the coronary arteries do not contain calcium. Calcium in the coronary arteries is the earliest indicator of heart disease. This test is used to check for heart disease in an early stage and to determine how severe it is. Taking into account other factors such as age, family history and cholesterol level, your doctor uses that score to measure your potential for heart disease.

Over half the people who died suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms. To help combat a statistic like this, you can undergo a CACS exam.