Mammograms and a New Maryland Law: What You Need to Know
Featured Expert
October 21, 2026
If you get your mammograms in Maryland, your screening report will now include information about your heart health. This is because of a Maryland law that went into effect on Oct. 1.
Emily Ambinder, chief of breast imaging at Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains what the new requirement means for you.
Key Points
- A new Maryland law provides information about a marker for potential cardiovascular risk as part of your mammogram report.
- Maryland is the first state to pass such a law.
- The goal is to help detect heart disease, which is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S.
What new information will be in my mammogram report?
The letter that you already get after every mammogram will now also tell you whether breast arterial calcifications were detected. These calcifications, if present, show up on the same images that radiologists already take to look for breast cancer. The findings will also be sent to your primary care provider.
Maryland is the first state to pass such a law, which could help with detection of cardiovascular disease.
What are breast arterial calcifications?
Breast arterial calcifications are calcium deposits in the walls of the small arteries in the breast. These calcifications have nothing to do with breast cancer, but if they are present, they show up on mammograms.
When seen on a mammogram, they look like thin, parallel white lines that follow the path of the blood vessel. These calcifications happen more often as we age, and are also more common in women with diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease.
The calcifications form in a different part of the artery wall than the plaque that blocks heart arteries, so a mammogram should not replace tests designed to measure heart disease directly
What do breast arterial calcifications say about my heart risk?
There is some research showing that women with breast arterial calcifications may have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. These calcifications are a sign of possible risk, not a diagnosis. Many women who have them never develop heart disease.
What does the new Maryland mammography law mean for my mammogram appointment?
Nothing changes about your mammogram itself. Breast arterial calcifications show up on the same images that radiologists already take to look for breast cancer, so you won’t need new equipment, extra pictures, more radiation or more time in the exam room. What’s new is that the findings will now be included in your results letter.
What is the goal of adding this requirement?
It is meant to inform, not to alarm. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Yet heart disease in women is often underrecognized. Millions of women already get a mammogram every year, so the law aims to use information we’re already collecting to raise awareness and start conversations between women and their doctors about heart health.
What should I do if I get a letter saying that I have breast arterial calcifications?
First, don’t panic. This is a common finding, and it does not mean you are about to have a heart attack or stroke.
It is, however, a good reason to check in on your heart health. Bring it up at your next visit with your primary care provider. Your doctor can look at your overall risk, including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, smoking history and family history, and decide whether any further testing makes sense for you.
And if your mammogram does not show that you have these calcifications, that doesn’t mean your heart risk is low. Keep up with routine heart health care either way!
Medically reviewed by Emily Ambinder, M.D.
