Background The predominant cause of coronary artery calcification is atherosclerosis. Although fast x-ray computed tomography (CT) has been demonstrated to be a sensitive technique to detect coronary calcification, the increasing prevalence of calcification with age has been associated with a low specificity for identifying obstructive atherosclerosis. We hypothesized that the specificity of th...

The clinician now has an overwhelming array of investigations at his or her disposal for patients with suspected coronary heart disease. These tests are used to diagnose or risk-stratify patients and thereby enable the clinician to treat their symptoms and reduce their future risk. Ultimately, these investigations either assess risk factors (eg, lipid, glucose, and C-reactive protein concentrat...

BACKGROUND The main aim of our study was to investigate the influence of calcification on the accuracy of 64-slice computed tomography for identification of significant coronary artery disease. METHODS A contrast-enhanced 64-slice computed tomography was performed prior to invasive coronary angiography in 168 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease. All coronary segments 1...

Objective: Visible aortic arch calcification (AAC) on chest radiographs is putatively associated with cardiovascular outcomes. This retrospective study investigated a correlation between the semi-quantitative extent of AAC and cardiovascular disease severity. Methods: 305 consecutive patients presenting with chest pain who underwent coronary artery angiography and chest radiography during the s...

OBJECTIVES To examine whether the gender difference in coronary artery calcification, a measure of atherosclerotic plaque burden, is lost in type 1 diabetic patients, and whether abnormalities in established coronary heart disease risk factors explain this. BACKGROUND Type 1 diabetes abolishes the gender difference in coronary heart disease mortality because it is associated with a greater el...

Cerebral Atherosclerosis and Coronary Calcification To the Editor: We read with great interest the article by Vliegenthart et al1 concerning an association between stroke and coronary calcification. It is of interest whether coronary calcification is correlated with cerebral atherosclerosis. We also believe that coronary calcification could play a crucial role in the incidence of cerebral infar...

Purpose To examine the association between fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX) scores and coronary artery calcification (CAC) score in adults. Methods The medical records of 81 adults who underwent both coronary computed tomography and bone mineral density (BMD) studies in a package during their health exams were reviewed at a regional hospital in Southern Taiwan. Data collected included hea...

PURPOSE This study analyzes the association between the bony microarchitecture score (trabecular bone score, TBS) and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in adults undergoing health exams. MATERIALS AND METHODS We retrospectively collected subjects (N = 81) who underwent coronary computed tomography and bone mineral density studies simultaneously. CAC was categorized to three levels (Group 0,...

BACKGROUND Coronary artery calcification (CAC) measured by electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) has been well studied in the prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD). We sought to evaluate the impact of the CAC score in the diagnostic process immediately after its introduction in a large tertiary referral centre. METHODS 598 patients with no history of CAD who underwent EBCT for evalua...