What Are the Risks of a Coronary Calcium Scan?

Coronary calcium scanning has very few risks. The test isn’t invasive, which means that no surgery is done and no instruments are inserted into your body. Coronary calcium scanning doesn’t require an injection of contrast dye to make your heart or arteries visible on the x-ray images.

Because an x-ray machine is involved, you will be exposed to a small amount of radiation. Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) uses less radiation than multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). In either case, the amount of radiation is less than or equal to the amount of radiation you’re naturally exposed to in a single year.