Coronary artery calcium scoring should not be used in patients with existing arterial vascular disease or to monitor preventative activities, the RACGP says.

GPs also need more information on the risks and benefits of CAC before using the test to reclassify absolute cardiovascular risk in select patients.

The college has made the arguments in a submission to the National Heart Foundation, which recently proposed expanding the use of CAC scoring in the primary care setting.

In a draft position paper published in February, the foundation recommended obtaining a CAC score in patients with an intermediate absolute cardiovascular risk if there was “uncertainty about the intensity of subsequent risk management treatment needed”.