Should family physicians use coronary artery calcium scores to screen for coronary artery disease? No: screening is unproven, expensive, and potentially harmful.

No: Screening is Unproven, Expensive, and Potentially Harmful. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores have been recommended as a way to screen for coronary artery disease (CAD). Before we get too enthusiastic about this expensive new test, remember that a good screening test must perform significantly better than existing or less invasive tests, that the cost and risk should be low, and that using the test should improve patient-oriented outcomes. Unfortunately, CAC scoring does not meet any of these criteria.