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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Association between aortic calcification and stable obstructive coronary artery disease
Eung Ju Kim1, Hwan Seok Yong, Hong Seog Seo
1Cardiovascular Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Insights
Aortic calcification (AC) is linked to obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD), but coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a stronger independent predictor. Combining AC and CAC may improve OCAD prediction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Preventive Cardiology
Background:
- Coronary artery calcification (CAC) predicts coronary atherosclerosis and obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD).
- Aortic calcification (AC) is correlated with CAC and may also predict OCAD.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate if AC predicts OCAD independently of CAC.
- Determine the incremental value of AC combined with CAC in predicting OCAD.
Main Methods:
- 120 stable OCAD patients and 120 controls without OCAD were enrolled.
- Patients underwent 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT) for CAC, thoracic AC, and OCAD determination.
- Cardiovascular risk factors were matched between groups.
Main Results:
- AC and CAC prevalence were significantly higher in OCAD patients.
- Both AC and CAC independently predicted OCAD in univariate analysis.
- CAC remained a significant predictor after adjustment, while AC did not. The combination of AC and CAC was a more potent OCAD predictor than CAC alone.
Conclusions:
- AC is associated with stable OCAD, independent of cardiovascular risk factors, likely due to its correlation with CAC.
- AC may offer incremental value when used with CAC for predicting OCAD.
Background:
Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is correlated with aortic calcification (AC) and predicts coronary atherosclerosis as well as obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD). This study aims to investigate whether AC predicts OCAD independent of CAC and its incremental value in predicting OCAD with CAC.
Methods:
Among the consecutive patients who underwent 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT), we enrolled 120 stable OCAD (luminal narrowing ≥ 50%) patients and 120 controls without OCAD, matched for cardiovascular risk factors. CAC, thoracic AC, and OCAD were determined by MDCT.
Results:
The prevalence of AC and CAC were significantly higher in OCAD patients than in controls (64% vs. 48%, p = 0.019; 57% vs. 32%, p < 0.001, respectively). There is a significant correlation between AC and CAC scores in the overall study population (r = 0.528, p < 0.001). In univariate analysis, the odds ratios (ORs) of AC and CAC in predicting OCAD were 1.91 (95% CI, 1.14-3.21) and 2.82 (95% CI, 1.67-4.78), respectively. When an adjustment was made for each other, AC did not maintain a significant association with OCAD, whereas CAC persisted the association (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.42-4.47). Both AC and CAC present as compared to both absent was found to be a more potent predictor for OCAD (OR, 3.37; 95% CI 1.78-6.36, p < 0.001) than CAC alone.
Conclusions:
The presence of AC was associated with stable OCAD independently from cardiovascular risk factors, but the association seemed to be based on the close correlation between AC and CAC. However, AC might have an incremental value with CAC for predicting OCAD.
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