Calcium score by age: what's normal and what your score means
By HeartRiskCalc Editorial Team · Published
Reference values from the MESA study (ages 45–84) and a 2022 study of adults 30–45. Not independently reviewed by a clinician.
In short: a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score of 0 is the best result at any age. What is typical rises with age: at 50, only 28–41% of men and 11–16% of women have any calcium, but by 70 that is 66–83% of men and 49–59% of women. Under the 2018 ACC/AHA guideline, a score of 100 or more, or one at the 75th percentile or higher for your age, sex, and race, is the point where a statin is considered reasonable.
Calcium score by age chart
The chart shows, for each age from 45 to 84, how many adults without heart disease had a score above 0, and the calcium score at the 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles. A score at the 75th percentile means it is higher than about 3 in 4 people of the same age, sex, and group. Pick a sex and group to compare.
| Age | Score above 0 | Percentile score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | ||
| 45 | 25% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| 46 | 28% | 0 | 0 | 3 | 48 |
| 47 | 31% | 0 | 0 | 6 | 60 |
| 48 | 35% | 0 | 0 | 11 | 75 |
| 49 | 38% | 0 | 0 | 16 | 90 |
| 50 | 41% | 0 | 0 | 22 | 110 |
| 51 | 44% | 0 | 0 | 29 | 132 |
| 52 | 47% | 0 | 0 | 37 | 154 |
| 53 | 50% | 0 | 1 | 46 | 180 |
| 54 | 53% | 0 | 3 | 56 | 204 |
| 55 | 56% | 0 | 6 | 68 | 234 |
| 56 | 59% | 0 | 9 | 81 | 267 |
| 57 | 62% | 0 | 13 | 97 | 303 |
| 58 | 64% | 0 | 17 | 113 | 344 |
| 59 | 66% | 0 | 22 | 133 | 397 |
| 60 | 68% | 0 | 28 | 155 | 452 |
| 61 | 70% | 0 | 35 | 180 | 508 |
| 62 | 72% | 0 | 42 | 207 | 568 |
| 63 | 74% | 0 | 51 | 235 | 641 |
| 64 | 75% | 2 | 61 | 269 | 717 |
| 65 | 77% | 5 | 71 | 307 | 802 |
| 66 | 78% | 7 | 83 | 344 | 897 |
| 67 | 79% | 10 | 98 | 393 | 1014 |
| 68 | 81% | 13 | 115 | 447 | 1141 |
| 69 | 82% | 17 | 130 | 491 | 1242 |
| 70 | 83% | 21 | 145 | 540 | 1345 |
| 71 | 85% | 26 | 161 | 583 | 1446 |
| 72 | 86% | 32 | 180 | 641 | 1584 |
| 73 | 87% | 38 | 200 | 693 | 1714 |
| 74 | 88% | 45 | 223 | 752 | 1860 |
| 75 | 90% | 52 | 248 | 820 | 2030 |
| 76 | 91% | 62 | 272 | 889 | 2201 |
| 77 | 92% | 71 | 298 | 964 | 2387 |
| 78 | 93% | 81 | 325 | 1038 | 2552 |
| 79 | 95% | 91 | 352 | 1118 | 2742 |
| 80 | 96% | 103 | 385 | 1200 | 2933 |
| 81 | 97% | 117 | 420 | 1305 | 3136 |
| 82 | 98% | 132 | 459 | 1406 | 3365 |
| 83 | 99% | 146 | 504 | 1521 | 3606 |
| 84 | 99% | 157 | 542 | 1634 | 3848 |
When a percentile shows 0, at least that share of people your age have no detectable calcium, so any score above 0 is above that percentile. Values come from the MESA CAC reference, published in Circulation in 2006; for your exact percentile, use the official MESA calcium calculator.
How common calcium is at each age
Share of adults with a calcium score above 0, as a range across the four MESA groups (White, Black, Hispanic, and Chinese American):
| Age | Men with a score above 0 | Women with a score above 0 |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | 19–28% | 4–8% |
| 50 | 28–41% | 11–16% |
| 55 | 37–56% | 19–27% |
| 60 | 46–68% | 27–37% |
| 65 | 56–77% | 37–47% |
| 70 | 66–83% | 49–59% |
| 75 | 75–90% | 62–73% |
| 80 | 82–96% | 74–87% |
Women develop calcium about 10 years later than men, and from about 50 on, White men tend to have the highest scores. That is why the same number can be ordinary for one person and unusual for another.
What is a good calcium score?
The best score is 0. Above that, judge a score two ways. The absolute number tells you how much calcified plaque there is, and guideline ranges are based on it. The percentile tells you how that compares with people like you. A 60-year-old white man with a score of 28 is at the median for his age; the same score in a 50-year-old woman would be far above average.
Guidelines treat a score at the 75th percentile or higher as a risk-enhancing finding, even when the number itself is small. For a 10-year risk estimate that uses your score, try the MESA calcium score calculator.
Calcium score ranges
The 2018 ACC/AHA cholesterol guideline uses these ranges when a calcium score helps decide about a statin:
| Score | Plaque | What the guideline says |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | None detected | Supports holding off on a statin at borderline or intermediate risk, unless you have diabetes, smoke, or have a family history of early heart disease. |
| 1–99 | Mild | Favors starting a statin, especially at 55 or older. |
| 100–299 | Moderate | A statin is considered reasonable regardless of the other numbers. |
| 300 and up | Extensive | High risk of coronary events; cholesterol is usually treated more intensively. |
These ranges inform a conversation with your clinician; they do not decide treatment alone. LDL cholesterol, family history, and your overall 10-year risk from the PREVENT calculator or ASCVD risk score matter too.
A calcium score of 0
A score of 0 means no calcified plaque was seen. People with no detectable calcium have a very low rate of heart attacks over the next 5–10 years, which is why the guideline allows many people at borderline or intermediate risk to hold off on a statin and reassess later.
A 0 has limits. The scan cannot see soft, non-calcified plaque, which is relatively more common in younger people. And it does not cancel out diabetes, current smoking, or a family history of early heart disease.
Calcium scores under 45
MESA did not include adults under 45. A 2022 study of nearly 20,000 adults aged 30 to 45 filled that gap. It found any calcium in 26% of White men, 16% of Black men, 10% of White women, and 7% of Black women.
At these ages, any score above 0 stands out: it put every woman above the 90th percentile, and White men at the 90th percentile from age 34 (Black men from 37). A small number such as 7 or 20 in your 30s is worth discussing with a clinician even though it falls in the lowest guideline range. The authors offer a percentile calculator for ages 30–45.
Turn your score into a 10-year risk
A percentile compares your plaque with others; it is not your risk. The MESA calculator combines your calcium score with cholesterol, blood pressure, and other factors to estimate your 10-year chance of a heart attack.
Use the MESA calculator →Calcium score by age: FAQ
What is a normal calcium score for my age?
For most adults under 50, a normal calcium score is 0: at 50, only 28–41% of men and 11–16% of women in MESA had any calcium, depending on race. Calcium becomes more common with age, so by 70 most men and about half of women have some. Because "normal" changes with age, a score is judged by its percentile among people of the same age, sex, and race.
What is the average calcium score for a 60-year-old man?
In MESA, 68% of 60-year-old white men had a score above 0; the median (50th percentile) was 28 and the 75th percentile was 155. Black men the same age had lower scores: 46% had any calcium and the median was 0. Averages are pulled up by a few very high scores, so the median and percentiles are more useful.
What is a good calcium score for a woman?
Zero, at any age. Women tend to develop calcium about 10 years later than men: at 50, 84% of white women in MESA scored 0, and at 65 the 75th percentile was still only 54. That means even a small score can put a younger woman above the 75th percentile for her age.
Is a calcium score of 100 bad?
A score of 100 means a moderate amount of plaque. The 2018 ACC/AHA guideline treats 100 or more as the point where a statin is considered reasonable, whatever your other numbers. Relative to age, 100 is at or above the 90th percentile for white men younger than 50 and white women younger than 60, but below the median for many people in their late 70s.
Is a calcium score of 400 high?
Yes. Scores of 300 and up are in the highest guideline range. A score of 400 is at or above the 90th percentile for white men younger than 60 and for white women younger than 71. Clinicians usually treat cholesterol more intensively at this level and look closely at blood pressure and other risk factors.
How often should a calcium score be repeated?
When the score is 0, the 2018 ACC/AHA guideline says it is reasonable to hold off on a statin and reassess in 5 to 10 years for people at borderline or intermediate risk. Once a score is above 0, it tends to keep rising, and statins can raise it slightly as plaque stabilizes, so a repeat scan is not a good way to track treatment. Ask your clinician whether another scan would change anything for you.
Why does the chart ask for race or ethnicity?
MESA found that calcium scores differ between White, Black, Hispanic, and Chinese American adults of the same age and sex, so the reference values are given separately for each group. If you belong to another group, the values may fit you less well.
Sources and editorial notes
- McClelland RL, et al. Distribution of Coronary Artery Calcium by Race, Gender, and Age: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Circulation. 2006;113(1):30–37.
- Javaid A, et al. Distribution of Coronary Artery Calcium by Age, Sex, and Race Among Patients 30–45 Years Old. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(19):1873–1886.
- Grundy SM, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol. Circulation. 2019;139(25):e1082–e1143.
- MESA — CAC Reference Calculator (official)
- CAC percentile calculator for ages 30–45 (Javaid et al.)
By HeartRiskCalc Editorial Team · Published . Percentiles for ages 45–84 were retrieved from the official MESA CAC reference calculator for every age, sex, and group; the percentile bands this page reports were checked against exact values from that tool. Figures for ages 30–45 are quoted from Javaid et al. Not affiliated with MESA or the NHLBI. Not independently reviewed by a clinician. Educational information only.