Coronary Calcium Score in Greater Boston
A quick heart scan that counts hardened plaque, and 5 clinics in Greater Boston that list it.
- Time
- Under 20 minutes The scan itself is quick
- What you do
- Lie still in a CT scanner No injection
- You get
- A calcium score From zero upward
A coronary calcium score comes from a quick CT scan of your heart, with no injection. It counts the calcium in the walls of your heart arteries, which is a sign of plaque that has hardened, and turns it into a single number.
It is an established test for sharpening heart risk in adults whose risk is unclear from cholesterol and blood pressure alone, and the result can help you and a physician decide about treatment. It uses a low dose of radiation and sees only hardened plaque, not the softer kind.
Heart health in Greater Boston, by the numbers
The rate of high blood pressure in Greater Boston is lower than the national rate. In Greater Boston, 29.3% of adults have high blood pressure, compared with 34.4% nationally. That adds up to roughly 1,060,000 adults across five counties.
CDC estimates. PLACES figures are modelled from a national health survey, not counted from medical records, so read them as estimates.
See how the five counties compare
| County | High blood pressure | High cholesterol (of those checked) | Coronary heart disease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 27.6% | 34.9% | 4.9% |
| Suffolk | 27.4% | 32.5% | 4.8% |
| Essex | 32.1% | 35.6% | 6.2% |
| Norfolk | 29.8% | 35.9% | 5.2% |
| Plymouth | 32.6% | 37.9% | 6.2% |
| Greater Boston | 29.3% | 35.1% | 5.3% |
| United States | 34.4% | 36.4% | 6.3% |
Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Greater Boston = Suffolk, Middlesex, Norfolk, Essex and Plymouth counties, weighted by adult population.
longevityclinicshub.comBlood pressure and cholesterol are part of an ordinary checkup, so your regular doctor is the place to start. The tests above add detail once you know those basics.
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Coronary Calcium Score: common questions
Which clinics in Greater Boston list coronary calcium scoring?
5 in our Greater Boston guide: Healthspan Longevity, Innovare Medicine, Synergy Private Health, Exceptional Health and Mass General Brigham Executive Health Program.
How do I prepare?
Many centers ask you to skip food, drinks and caffeine for a few hours beforehand. Follow the instructions you are given.
What does a score of zero mean?
That the scan found no hardened plaque. It does not see softer plaque, so it is one input to your heart risk rather than the whole picture.
Calcium score or CT angiogram?
A calcium score is quicker, uses no injection and sees hardened plaque. A CT angiogram uses contrast dye and also shows softer plaque. They answer different questions.
Sources: ACR and RSNA, RadiologyInfo: Cardiac CT for Calcium Scoring; ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, 2019; ACR and RSNA, RadiologyInfo: Coronary CT Angiography