(KERO) — Doctors could one day be able to use an x-ray to determine a patient's risk of having a heart attack.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia found that x-rays or CT- scans of the abdominal aorta could show signs of heart disease. They say that is where calcium builds up first and an x-ray could allow doctors to make necessary lifestyle changes in patients.

Researchers say more than 50 studies showed people with higher levels of calcium in the abdominal aorta were two to four times more likely to experience a heart event.