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Overview
Cardiac calcium screening in TN and VA
If you’re searching for CAC scoring or a heart CT scan near you, Ballad Health offers calcium screenings across northeast Tennessee and Virginia.
Schedule a heart screening near you
For Tennessee residents
Patients in Tennessee can book their screening directly with a local provider by calling our scheduling team.
For Virginia residents
Our team can help schedule an appointment for you with a provider to speak about your calcium screening options.
What is cardiac calcium screening?
A cardiac calcium screening – also called a heart CT scan, cardiac CT or cardiac calcium CT – is a quick, noninvasive test that checks for calcium buildup in the arteries of the heart.
This calcium buildup, known as coronary artery calcification, is often linked to heart disease, such as coronary artery disease.
The scan uses a low-dose heart CT scan to take pictures of your heart from the outside of the body. The result provides a cardiac calcium score (CAC score), which is one factor that can contribute to your risk for conditions such as:
- Coronary artery disease
- Atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis
- Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
How often should you get a cardiac calcium scan?
If you have already had a calcium score test, there is typically no benefit to repeating it. Your provider can help decide if a repeat test is right for you.
Major risk factors for heart disease
This heart screening is one part of understanding your heart health. It does not diagnose conditions like heart failure, heart rhythm problems or sudden heart events.
Instead, it gives your provider and care team helpful information that, when combined with your personal history and lifestyle factors, can help with identifying the next steps in improving the health of your heart.
Other common risk factors that can increase risk of heart disease include:
- Diabetes
- Family history of heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Being overweight or obese
- Past or present smoking
- Physical inactivity
Quit smoking for a healthier heart
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Smoking is one of the strongest risk factors for heart disease and calcium buildup in the arteries. Quitting can greatly improve heart health at any age.
Ballad Health offers smoking cessation aids and quit-smoking support to help you take the next step.
What to expect from heart screening
Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time and bring a valid form of identification. You can eat or drink prior to the screening, if you like.
Understanding your cardiac calcium score
Your provider will use your CAC score alongside your personal health history and lifestyle factors to help determine your next steps.
Calcium score | What it means |
|---|---|
0 | No calcium detected; Insignificant, meaning you are at very low risk |
1 to 99 | Mild calcium buildup that may indicate some plaque |
100 to 399 | Moderate plaque, which puts you at increased risk |
400+ | Significant plaque, putting you at higher risk of heart disease |
How your CAC scoring fits into heart care
Cardiac CT scans are only one tool used to support heart disease prevention. It doesn’t replace regular checkups with a provider, blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol testing or other heart exams.
Learn more about other heart conditions, symptoms and treatment options at Ballad Health.
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Our team can help you take the first step toward early detection by setting up a visit with a primary care provider to discuss calcium screening options.
Complete our quick online form, and we’ll reach out at your convenience to help schedule your next visit.
What happens if I have a higher calcium score?
A higher calcium score can raise your risk for heart disease over time. While this can feel concerning, many people with higher scores manage their risk successfully with the right care and support.
Your doctor will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan. Common approaches often focus on prevention and risk reduction, such as:
Healthy lifestyle changes like improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, managing weight and reducing stress. Even small steps can make a difference over time.
Choleserol lowering medications like statins help lower cholesterol and slow plaque buildup.
Blood pressure management through lifestyle changes or medications to help keep it in a healthy range.
Blood sugar control for patients with diabetes and prediabetes.
Support for quitting smoking to lower heart disease risk.
Ongoing monitoring and follow-ups through regular checkups or additional heart tests based on your overall risk.
A higher score doesn’t indicate an emergency or mean that something is wrong right now. It provides helpful information that allows you and your provider to focus on prevention and long-term heart health.
Frequently asked questions about cardiac calcium screening
It measures calcium levels in the arteries of the heart. Calcium can signal plaque buildup, which may increase the risk of heart disease over time.
This screening cannot predict exactly if a heart attack could occur, but it does help, along with other information, estimate future risk and guide preventive care.
Existing calcium cannot be removed, but lifestyle changes and medications can help slow or prevent further plaque buildup.
No. A stress test looks at how your heart works during activity, while this screening specifically looks for plaque buildup in the vessels of the heart.
You don’t have to be experiencing symptoms to get a calcium score screening. We recommend speaking with a provider about your unique needs to determine if the screening is right for you.
Due to using an ultra-fast CT scanner, the scan itself usually only takes about 5 minutes.
No, this procedure is completely painless.
No, this test only determines the levels of calcium in the vessels of the heart. Other tests are used to diagnose conditions like heart failure. Speak to your provider about what tests are right for you.
Explore other health screenings
A cardiac calcium scan is just one way to stay ahead of potential health concerns. Ballad Health offers a wide range of preventive screenings designed to help catch issues early, when they're often easier to treat.
From cancer screenings and heart health tests to routine preventive care, our team is here to help you understand which screenings may be right for you.