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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

Relation between Framingham risk categories and the presence of functionally relevant coronary lesions as determined

Gaetano Nucifora1, Joanne D Schuijf, Jacob M van Werkhoven

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

The American Journal of Cardiology
|September 8, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Multislice computed tomographic coronary angiography and stress testing can improve cardiovascular risk assessment. These noninvasive methods refine traditional risk scores, especially for intermediate and high-risk individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Traditional risk assessment for coronary artery disease (CAD) may be enhanced by noninvasive imaging techniques.
  • Data correlating multislice computed tomographic (MSCT) coronary angiography and stress testing with traditional risk factors are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the relationship between traditional cardiovascular risk assessment and noninvasive detection of obstructive CAD.
  • To determine if MSCT coronary angiography and stress testing can refine risk stratification for CAD events.

Main Methods:

  • 255 subjects without known CAD underwent 64-slice MSCT coronary angiography and stress testing.
  • Framingham risk score (FRS) was calculated; CAD was classified as obstructive or non-obstructive.
  • Stress tests were categorized as normal or abnormal.

Main Results:

  • MSCT identified CAD in 61% of subjects, with 31% having obstructive CAD.
  • A positive stress test was seen in 46% of those with obstructive CAD.
  • Prevalence of obstructive CAD significantly increased with higher FRS categories (6% low, 45% intermediate, 63% high).

Conclusions:

  • A strong positive correlation exists between FRS and the prevalence of functionally relevant obstructive CAD.
  • MSCT coronary angiography and stress testing can refine traditional risk assessment, particularly for intermediate and high-risk patients.
  • These noninvasive techniques offer valuable complementary information for cardiovascular risk stratification.

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