A calcium scan of your heart can be a quick way to check on heart health! While we try and correlate standard blood testing (that is, a cholesterol or lipid panel), we are still essentially guessing as to the level of plaque formation. Elevated LDL and Lp(a) are associated with an increased risk of arterial plaque formation. But many people have effective HDL (the only lipid we associate with removal of lipids from the blood stream) and therefore no plaque formation. A simple coronary artery calcium score (CACS) can further assess your plaque levels. And the reason we do not want arterial plaque is to reduce risks of heart attacks and strokes. Check out this article and schedule an appointment to see if you should get a CACS!
