Who Should Get a CAC Scan?

Introduction

CAC scanning is not recommended for everyone. Guidelines target the test toward populations where results are most likely to influence management decisions. The strongest case exists for asymptomatic adults at intermediate cardiovascular risk, where a score can shift the treatment calculus in either direction.

Yet guidelines represent minimum consensus standards, not optimal practice for every individual. Some patients with strong risk factors fall outside guideline recommendations but might still benefit from knowing their CAC. Understanding both the official guidance and its limitations helps patients and clinicians make informed decisions about testing.

This article reviews the major guidelines, explains why CAC is not recommended for all adults, addresses screening in special populations, and examines the arguments for and against broader testing. For information on obtaining a scan, see How to Get a CAC Scan If Your Doctor Doesn’t Suggest One. For understanding results, see How to Interpret Your CAC Score.

What are the current guidelines for CAC screening, and who wrote them?

The 2019 ACC/AHA Primary Prevention Guidelines provide the most influential US recommendations. They state that CAC scoring is reasonable for adults aged 40-75 at intermediate risk (10-year ASCVD risk of 7.5-20%) when the decision about statin therapy is uncertain. CAC can also be considered for those at borderline risk (5-7.5%) if other risk-enhancing factors are present (Arnett et al., 2019).

The Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography has issued supporting documents endorsing CAC for intermediate-risk patients and selected lower-risk individuals with family history or other concerning features. European guidelines have been more conservative, with less emphasis on CAC in primary prevention compared to American recommendations.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has not issued a formal CAC recommendation, citing insufficient evidence that screening improves clinical outcomes. This gap reflects the lack of randomized trials showing that CAC-based treatment decisions reduce cardiovascular events, though such trials would be ethically and practically difficult to conduct.

Why isn’t CAC scanning part of routine preventive care for all adults?

Several factors explain why CAC has not become universal screening. First, people at very low calculated risk have low event rates regardless of their CAC score, making the test less informative. Finding calcium in a 35-year-old with no risk factors is rare, and a zero score tells you little beyond what clinical assessment already suggests.

Second, people at very high risk should receive aggressive treatment regardless of CAC. A diabetic smoker with hypertension does not need a CAC scan to justify statin therapy. The test would not change management. CAC provides the most value in the middle ground, where the result can tip the balance toward or away from intensified prevention.

Third, cost and insurance coverage limit access. Without demonstrated mortality reduction in randomized trials, reviews note that insurers have resisted covering CAC as a screening test (Cainzos-Achirica, 2018). This creates a circular problem where lack of coverage limits utilization, which limits the ability to generate the outcome data that would support coverage.

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At what age does CAC screening make the most sense?

Guidelines focus on adults aged 40-75 because this is when atherosclerosis prevalence becomes meaningful and cardiovascular risk rises enough to consider primary prevention therapy. Below age 40, few people have detectable calcium, and most are not candidates for statins based on calculated risk. Above age 75, nearly everyone has some calcium, and the clinical utility of the score diminishes.

The strongest case for screening exists between ages 45-65 for men and 55-70 for women, when intermediate-risk status is most common and treatment decisions are most often uncertain. Younger individuals with strong risk factors may warrant earlier testing, though guideline support for this is weaker.

Research in patients under 50 shows that CAC detection is relatively uncommon but highly significant when present (Feuchtner et al., 2021). A 42-year-old with any calcium at all has exceeded what is typical for age and may warrant aggressive management even if the absolute score is modest.

Should people with known risk factors get tested earlier?

Family history of premature coronary disease is the most commonly cited indication for earlier testing. Guidelines acknowledge that traditional risk calculators underestimate risk in people with strong family history, and CAC can help identify those who have already developed subclinical disease.

Elevated Lp(a), which affects roughly 20% of the population and is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis, represents another scenario where earlier CAC testing may be appropriate. Since Lp(a) is largely genetic and responds poorly to standard lipid therapy, knowing whether calcification has developed helps inform management intensity.

Studies demonstrate that CAC provides prognostic information even after accounting for traditional risk factors, supporting its use when clinical assessment suggests risk exceeds what calculators predict (Nasir et al., 2012). The challenge is that guidelines do not provide specific age thresholds for these enhanced-risk scenarios.

How do guidelines differ between the US, Europe, and other countries?

American guidelines have been more enthusiastic about CAC than European ones. The ESC 2021 guidelines on cardiovascular prevention mention CAC as a potential risk modifier but stop short of the specific endorsement found in ACC/AHA guidance. European practice tends to emphasize traditional risk factor management over imaging-based stratification.

The UK NICE guidelines recommend CT angiography rather than CAC scoring for patients with chest pain and low clinical likelihood of coronary disease. This reflects a diagnostic rather than screening orientation, focused on excluding obstruction in symptomatic patients rather than detecting subclinical disease in asymptomatic ones.

These differences reflect varying healthcare economics, medicolegal environments, and professional cultures. The evidence base is the same internationally, but interpretation and implementation differ based on local factors.

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What are the arguments for and against population-wide CAC screening?

Proponents argue that CAC screening would identify millions of people with silent atherosclerosis who could benefit from earlier, more aggressive prevention. The test is inexpensive, low-risk, and highly predictive. Early detection could prevent heart attacks and save lives.

Large cohort studies demonstrate that CAC stratifies risk better than clinical variables alone across all calculated risk categories (Grandhi, 2020). A zero score is highly reassuring and might allow some low-risk individuals to defer statin therapy. A high score identifies people who need aggressive treatment regardless of what calculators suggest.

Opponents note the absence of randomized trials proving that CAC-guided treatment reduces events. They worry about downstream costs from incidental findings, false reassurance from zero scores, and the radiation exposure of population-wide CT scanning. Until trials demonstrate net benefit, they argue that CAC should remain targeted rather than universal.

Is there a role for CAC in younger patients under 40?

Guidelines generally do not endorse CAC screening under age 40, but exceptions exist for individuals with familial hypercholesterolemia, extremely high Lp(a), strong family history of premature disease, or other compelling risk factors. In these cases, early detection of atherosclerosis could inform treatment intensity for decades.

Data from younger populations shows that while CAC prevalence is low, the presence of any calcium in a young person is highly abnormal and predicts elevated risk (LaMonte, 2005). A 35-year-old with a score of 20 has substantially more disease than their peers and likely warrants aggressive lipid management.

The practical challenge is that insurance rarely covers CAC at younger ages, and some imaging centers apply age cutoffs. Patients with strong family history or genetic risk markers may need to self-advocate for testing or pay out of pocket, which is discussed in How to Get a CAC Scan If Your Doctor Doesn’t Suggest One.

Conclusion

Current guidelines support CAC screening for adults aged 40-75 at intermediate cardiovascular risk, particularly when statin therapy decisions are uncertain. The test has less value at the extremes of risk, where it would not change management. Special populations with family history or genetic risk factors may warrant consideration outside standard guidelines.

The gap between guideline conservatism and clinical potential creates opportunities for patient advocacy. Understanding who benefits from testing positions patients to make informed requests and engage productively with their physicians about appropriate imaging.

For practical guidance on obtaining a scan, see How to Get a CAC Scan If Your Doctor Doesn’t Suggest One. For understanding what to do with results, see What to Do With Your CAC Results.