The role of coronary artery calcium in allocating pharmacotherapy for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: The ABCs of CAC

Abstract

Determining optimal candidates for the numerous potential pharmacotherapies for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains challenging. Selective use of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is recommended by the 2018 and 2019 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Cholesterol and Primary Prevention Guidelines as a tool for refining cardiovascular disease risk assessment. A growing body of research shows that CAC has potential value in allocation of primary prevention aspirin, determining blood pressure targets and treatment intensity, the intensity of cholesterol management, and use of the more expensive medications for type 2 diabetes. We also review the literature regarding very elevated CAC scores greater than 400 or 1000 and how these scores appear to confer a risk for cardiovascular disease on par with secondary prevention cohorts.