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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
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Association of abdominal aortic calcium with coronary artery calcium and obstructive coronary artery disease: a pilot

Bryan M Zweig1, Meetkumar Sheth, Steve Simpson

  • 1Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute, Detroit, MI, USA.

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
|February 25, 2011
PubMed

Insights

A zero abdominal aortic calcium (AAC) score effectively rules out obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). This finding suggests that the absence of AAC can help identify patients who do not require further cardiac risk assessment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Imaging and Diagnostics
  • Radiology and Nuclear Medicine

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of mortality worldwide.
  • Assessing cardiovascular risk often involves evaluating calcification in coronary arteries.
  • The role of calcification in the abdominal aorta as a predictor for coronary artery disease is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between abdominal aortic calcium (AAC) and coronary artery calcium (CAC).
  • To determine if AAC can predict the presence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • To evaluate the utility of AAC in identifying patients who may benefit from further cardiovascular risk stratification.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 58 patients without known CAD.
  • Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans were used to calculate the total AAC score (Agatston method).
  • Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) was performed within two years to assess for coronary plaque and obstructive CAD.

Main Results:

  • 43 out of 58 patients had detectable AAC.
  • A zero AAC score demonstrated a 100% negative predictive value (NPV) for obstructive CAD.
  • AAC score was an independent predictor of CAC score, correlating significantly with age.

Conclusions:

  • An abdominal aortic calcium (AAC) score of zero is a strong indicator for the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • AAC correlates with coronary artery calcium (CAC) and can serve as a valuable tool for ruling out significant CAD.
  • The absence of AAC may help refine patient selection for further cardiac risk evaluation, potentially reducing unnecessary testing.

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