Coronary Calcium Score in Chicago
A quick heart scan that counts hardened plaque, and 3 clinics in Chicago 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 Chicago, by the numbers
The rate of high blood pressure in Chicago is lower than the national rate. In Chicago, 31.2% of adults have high blood pressure, compared with 34.4% nationally. That adds up to roughly 2,050,000 adults across seven 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 seven counties compare
| County | High blood pressure | High cholesterol (of those checked) | Coronary heart disease |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | 31.0% | 34.2% | 5.3% |
| DuPage | 30.7% | 35.9% | 5.3% |
| Lake | 32.4% | 36.8% | 5.4% |
| Will | 32.0% | 34.0% | 5.3% |
| Kane | 30.4% | 34.4% | 5.7% |
| McHenry | 33.7% | 35.7% | 5.6% |
| Kendall | 29.6% | 32.5% | 4.4% |
| Chicago | 31.2% | 34.6% | 5.3% |
| United States | 34.4% | 36.4% | 6.3% |
Source: CDC PLACES, 2023 county estimates. Chicago = Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry, Will and Kendall 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 Chicago list coronary calcium scoring?
3 in our Chicago guide: BluePath Longevity, Sean Cahill, MD and MD Longevity Lab.
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