Order your CAC scan.
A coronary artery calcium scan is one of the most predictive tests for long-term cardiovascular risk — and the clearest read on your cardiovascular age. This guide removes every friction point.
Five steps from start to score
Find a nearby imaging center
RadiologyAssist is a nationwide network of imaging centers offering transparent self-pay pricing — no insurance required. Start by confirming a center near you offers this specific study.
Enter these exact values at radiologyassist.com
Most locations: $100–$150 self-pay
Get your prescription
A CAC scan uses low-dose CT radiation, and a physician order is required to make sure you don't fall into criteria where CT may not be safe for you. The safety screen is brief — a licensed provider checks things like:
Do you have metal implants or a pacemaker?
Are you pregnant or possibly pregnant?
Do you have a body weight outside the scanner's limit?
Have you had prior radiation exposure that could affect dose planning?
Schedule your appointment
Once you have your prescription, book the scan. If you used RadiologyAssist's virtual consult, they will create an imaging order automatically and call you to schedule. You can also schedule online at any time.
Get the scan
Your imaging center will send appointment confirmation with any location-specific instructions. The scan itself is fast and requires no preparation.
Scan duration
~10 minutes
Preparation
None required
Contrast dye
Not used
Radiation
Low dose — less than a standard chest CT
Results timeline
2–4 business days
Delivery method
Emailed PDF report
Upload your report to Portico
Upload your CAC report PDF to Portico. The interpretation goes well beyond the lab's reference ranges and connects your score to the long view.
Your cardiovascular age — how old your arteries read, against the calendar
Your CAC score category (0 / 1–99 / 100–299 / 300+) and what it means for your risk
Where you sit today on the 30-year cardiovascular trajectory
How your score cross-references with blood panel markers — LDL particle count, hsCRP, homocysteine
Plain-English interpretation with suggested next steps to discuss with your clinician
Why a heart attack takes thirty years to build.
The atherosclerosis canon explains what the CAC score is actually measuring, what the score categories mean clinically, and how it fits into the 30-year cardiovascular trajectory Portico tracks.
Read the atherosclerosis canonPortico guides you to RadiologyAssist because we want to make it easy for you to access this valuable insight. Portico does not receive any financial benefit from RadiologyAssist — no affiliate fee, no referral revenue, nothing.
Portico is not a licensed medical provider and does not write prescriptions, pay for this test, or schedule on your behalf. We guide you through the process and interpret your results within the context of your full health picture.