The Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score measures calcified plaque in your heart's arteries via a quick CT scan. This score helps assess your risk for future heart problems, even before symptoms, guiding discussions on lifestyle changes and preventative care to protect your heart.

Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score

CAC testing (JAMA Patient Page)

UMMS Profile

US News

Coronary artery disease (CAD) occurs when the heart's arteries narrow, often due to fatty deposits, restricting blood flow and causing symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath. Management focuses on lifestyle changes, medications, and sometimes procedures to improve heart health and reduce future risks.

Coronary Artery Disease

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is a common condition where the heart's upper chambers beat irregularly and often too quickly. This can make you feel palpitations, breathless, tired, or dizzy. AFib can be linked to conditions like high blood pressure or heart disease, and treatment focuses on managing your heart rhythm and preventing complications like stroke, often with medications and healthy lifestyle choices like diet and exercise.

Atrial Fibrillation

Palpitations are the sensation of your heart pounding, racing, or skipping a beat. Often harmless, they can be triggered by stress, caffeine, exercise, or anxiety. While usually benign and temporary, persistent or concerning palpitations should be discussed with a doctor to rule out underlying causes.

Palpitations

Heart failure means your heart struggles to pump blood effectively, causing symptoms like shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling. Often caused by conditions such as high blood pressure or a previous heart attack, it's managed with medications and lifestyle changes (e.g., healthy diet, exercise) to help improve your well-being.

Heart Failure

Prevention involves proactive steps taken to maintain health and avoid illness or injury before it starts. This often includes healthy lifestyle choices like balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, vaccinations, and routine medical check-ups. The aim is to empower you to stay well and address potential issues early, contributing to a longer, healthier life.

Prevention

Aortic stenosis is a heart condition where the aortic valve, controlling blood flow from your heart, narrows. This narrowing makes it harder for blood to pump effectively to your body. Symptoms often include chest pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness. It commonly develops with age or other heart conditions. Treatment options, determined by your doctor, range from lifestyle changes and monitoring to valve repair or replacement to improve heart function.

Aortic Stenosis

Jeremy Pollock

U Maryland

Medical Director of Cardiology Operations, Co-Director for System Heart Failure at UMMS

Cardiology

Director of Heart Failure and Cardiac Population Health

Conditions that don't fit into other main groups. A mixed collection of health issues.

Other

Everyday health, wellness tips, and understanding how to manage your care.

General Health & Patient Education

Tests to find what's wrong or to check for health problems.

Screening and Diagnostic Procedures

Symptoms are changes in how you feel or how your body works, such as pain, fever, or fatigue. They are your body's way of signaling an underlying health condition. Understanding your symptoms helps healthcare providers identify the cause and develop a personalized treatment plan.

Symptoms

Nutrition and Diet refer to the foods and drinks you consume, which are vital for fueling your body's energy, growth, and repair. A balanced diet provides essential nutrients to support overall health, prevent illness, and manage existing conditions.

Nutrition and Diet

Conditions affecting body weight, eating, and how your body gets nutrients.

Jeremy Pollock, MD

Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score

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