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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
04:40

Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans

Published on: August 28, 2018

Prevalence and correlates of coronary calcification in black and white young adults: the Coronary Artery Risk

D E Bild1, A R Folsom, L P Lowe

  • 1Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7934, USA. bild@nih.gov

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
|May 23, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery calcification prevalence did not differ significantly between young Black and White adults. Cardiovascular risk factors, not race, were associated with calcification, highlighting the need for comprehensive risk assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Cardiovascular risk factors differ between Black and White Americans.
  • Cardiovascular disease rates are not always consistent with risk factor disparities.
  • Coronary calcification is an early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the prevalence of coronary calcification in young adult Black and White individuals.
  • To identify factors associated with coronary calcification in a diverse young adult population.

Main Methods:

  • Electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT) of the heart was performed on 443 participants aged 28-40 years.
  • Participants were recruited from a population-based cohort.
  • Coronary calcium was defined by specific area and density thresholds.

Main Results:

  • Overall prevalence of coronary calcification was 16.1% in Black men, 11.8% in Black women, 17.1% in White men, and 4.6% in White women.
  • Coronary calcification was associated with age, male sex, body mass index, weight, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting insulin.
  • After adjustment for risk factors, race was not significantly associated with coronary calcification.
  • Independent risk factors for coronary calcification included male sex, body mass index, and LDL cholesterol.

Conclusions:

  • Coronary calcification is prevalent in young adults and associated with cardiovascular risk factors.
  • Race was not a significant independent predictor of coronary calcification in this young adult cohort.
  • Risk factor management is crucial for preventing atherosclerosis, irrespective of race.

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