Arterial Age from CAC
Enter Agatston coronary artery calcium score from cardiac CT. Optionally supply chronological age to interpret arterial age relative to actual age.
Used for interpreting arterial vs actual age.
How to Use This Calculator
Obtain CAC score
Perform a non-contrast cardiac CT to measure Agatston coronary artery calcium score, often indicated for intermediate ASCVD risk patients.
Compare with chronological age
Input actual age to contextualize arterial age. Larger discrepancies indicate accelerated or decelerated vascular aging relative to peers.
Tailor prevention strategies
Use arterial age to facilitate shared decision-making about statins, antihypertensives, weight loss, exercise, and smoking cessation.
Formula
Arterial age = 39.1 + 7.25 × ln(CAC score + 1)
Derived from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort to translate CAC burden into an equivalent chronological age of vasculature.
Full Description
Coronary artery calcium scoring quantifies subclinical atherosclerosis. Higher scores reflect increased plaque burden and future ASCVD risk. Converting CAC to arterial age helps patients understand their vascular health relative to peers, enhancing motivation for risk factor control.
Arterial age aligns with risk calculators (e.g., Pooled Cohort Equations) and guides decisions for statin therapy, aspirin consideration, and intensity of lifestyle interventions. Always integrate CAC results with overall risk profile, family history, and patient preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a zero calcium score guarantee no risk?
A CAC score of zero indicates very low short-term risk, but not zero risk. Patients with strong family history, diabetes, or untreated risk factors may still benefit from preventive therapy.
How often should CAC be repeated?
For patients with CAC = 0 and low risk, repeat scanning can be considered after 5–10 years. Higher baseline scores may warrant repeat imaging sooner if results would change management.
What if the arterial age is extremely high?
Marked elevation (e.g., arterial age 15+ years above chronological age) indicates significant plaque burden. Initiate or intensify statins, blood pressure control, GLP-1/SGLT2 therapies when indicated, and consider cardiology referral.
Do medications reduce arterial age?
Arterial age reflects calcified plaque burden and usually increases over time. Aggressive lipid lowering can slow progression and reduce events even if CAC score rises, reinforcing the importance of therapy.