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Coronary Artery Disease in an Asymptomatic Population Undergoing a Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) Coronary
Ghassan Zaid1, Dana Yehudai, Uri Rosenschein
1Department of Cardiology, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Technion Institute of Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel.
Insights
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is common in asymptomatic individuals, with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) revealing a high prevalence of non-significant CAD. Risk factors and male sex are associated with increased CAD prevalence.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality.
- Early detection in asymptomatic individuals is crucial for preventive strategies.
- Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) offers non-invasive assessment of coronary anatomy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of CAD in asymptomatic subjects using MDCT.
- To investigate the association between CAD and demographic/clinical risk factors.
Main Methods:
- 188 asymptomatic volunteers without prior ischemic heart disease underwent MDCT.
- Coronary segments were analyzed for stenosis, correlating findings with risk factors.
- Demographic data including age, sex, and risk factors were collected.
Main Results:
- 68% of subjects showed MDCT findings consistent with CAD.
- Non-significant CAD (<=50% stenosis) was found in 86.7% of cases, significant CAD (>=50% stenosis) in 13.3%.
- CAD prevalence was higher in males and those with >=2 risk factors. Younger subjects had lower CAD prevalence.
Conclusions:
- CAD is prevalent in asymptomatic middle-aged individuals.
- MDCT identifies a high rate of non-significant CAD and a low rate of significant CAD.
- Risk factor stratification and MDCT can aid in early CAD detection.
Aim:
To assess the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in asymptomatic subjects using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and its relationships to demographic and clinical risk factors.
Material And Method:
We enrolled consecutive asymptomatic volunteers with no evidence of ischemic heart disease that underwent MDCT for the early detection of CAD. All MDCT findings were correlated with demographic and risk factors. A total of 2820 coronary segments were analyzed in 188 asymptomatic subjects (150 males and 38 females), aged 54.4 +/- 7.4 years.
Results:
A total of 128 (68%) demonstrated MDCT findings compatible with CAD; of these 111 (86.7%) had non-significant (diameter stenosis /= 50%). Compared with older subjects (mean age 56+/-8 years), younger subjects had a lower prevalence of MDCT findings of CAD 55.5% vs. 12.5%, respectively (P<0.001), regardless of risk factors. Males had more CAD (mostly non-significant) compared with females (109 [72.7%] vs. 19 [50.3%], respectively; P= 0.007). Subjects with >/= 2 risk factors had a higher prevalence of CAD in general and significant CAD in particular (P<0.001).
Conclusion:
CAD in asymptomatic population seems to be not uncommon. Using MDCT a high prevalence of non-significant and low prevalence of significant CAD was discovered in middle age asymptomatic population.
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