Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score Reference Values web tool will provide the estimated probability of non-zero calcium, and the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of the calcium score distribution for a particular age, gender and race. Additionally, if an observed calcium score is entered the program will provide the estimated percentile for this particular score. These reference values are based on participants in the MESA study who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease and treated diabetes at baseline. These participants were between 45-84 years of age, and identified themselves as White, African-American, Hispanic, or Chinese. The current tool is thus applicable only for these four race/ethnicity categories and within this age range.
At this time, the risk associated with a particular calcium score is unknown. Thus, the information in this tool cannot necessarily be used to conclude that a patient is "high risk", but can indicate whether they have a high calcium score relative to others with the same age, gender, and race/ethnicity.
McClelland RL, Chung H, Detrano R, Post W, Kronmal RA.
Distribution of coronary artery calcium by race, gender, and age: results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
Circulation. 2006;113(1):30-37.