According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone in the United States dies every 36 seconds from cardiovascular disease, making it the number one cause of death in the United States and a major cause of death globally. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which is caused by buildup of plaques in arterial walls, can potentially be prevented by the aid of the coronary artery calcium (CAC) score.

In general, it can be difficult to predict the presence of ASCVD. Traditional risk factors including age, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels suggest some risk, but they are insufficient in accurately predicting ASCVD risk in asymptomatic individuals. There is a great need for accurate estimation and prediction of ASCVD risk to minimize cost and misallocation of healthcare resources. In a recent review published in the British Medical Journal, Houston Methodist cardiologists Khurram Nasir, MD, MPH, the Jerold B. Katz Investigator and Professor of Cardiology, and Miguel Cainzos-Achirica, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of preventive cardiology, discuss the history of the CAC score, key studies leading to its adoption in clinical practice guidelines and its role in the personalization of risk scoring and subsequent management strategies.