Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 2, 2026
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Association between Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Coronary Artery Calcification in Patients Undergoing
Ozgul Malcok Gürel1, Muhammed Bora Demircelik1, Mukadder Ayse Bilgic2
1Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Ankara, Turkey.
Insights
Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) independently predicts coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in patients without obvious coronary heart disease. This finding suggests RDW may serve as a valuable biomarker for coronary artery disease risk assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
- The association between RDW and coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in patients without evident coronary heart disease (CHD) remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between RDW and CACS in individuals at low to intermediate risk for CHD.
- To determine if RDW is an independent predictor of CACS in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 527 patients with low-to-intermediate CHD risk but no overt disease underwent coronary CT angiography.
- Coronary artery calcification score (CACS) was calculated and patients were stratified into CACS ≤ 100 and CACS > 100 groups.
- Hematological parameters, including RDW, were compared between groups, and multivariate analysis was performed.
Main Results:
- Patients with higher CACS (Group II) were older and had significantly higher Framingham Risk Scores (FRS).
- Elevated hemoglobin, RDW, neutrophil count, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were observed in Group II.
- Multivariate analysis identified age, RDW, and FRS as independent predictors of CACS. A RDW of 13.05% best predicted CACS > 100.
Conclusions:
- RDW is an independent predictor of CACS in patients without obvious coronary heart disease.
- RDW may serve as a useful biomarker for predicting the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Background And Objectives:
The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine whether the RDW measures are associated with the coronary artery calcification score (CACS) in patients who did not present with obvious coronary heart disease (CHD).
Subjects And Methods:
A total of 527 consecutive patients with a low to intermediate risk for CHD but without obvious disease were enrolled in this study. The study subjects underwent coronary computerized tomography angiography and CACS was calculated. The patients were divided into two groups based on CACS: Group I (CACS≤100) and Group II (CACS>100). The two groups were compared in terms of classic CHD risk factors and haematological parameters, particularly the RDW.
Results:
Group I patients were younger than Group II patients. The Framingham risk score (FRS) in patients of Group II was significantly higher than that in patients of Group I. Group II patients had significantly elevated levels of haemoglobin, RDW, neutrophil count, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio compared with Group I patients. CACS was correlated with age, RDW, and ejection fraction. In the multivariate analysis, age, RDW, and FRS were independent predictors of CACS. Using the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, a RDW value of 13.05% was identified as the best cut-off for predicting the severity of CACS (>100) (area under the curve=0.706).
Conclusion:
We found that the RDW is an independent predictor of the CACS, suggesting that it might be a useful marker for predicting CAD.
More Related Videos
06:57Author Spotlight: Advancing Cardiovascular Imaging - Introducing the Spatially Weighted Calcium Score for Early Disease Detection
Published on: September 22, 2023
11:30A Semi-Automated and Reproducible Biological-Based Method to Quantify Calcium Deposition In Vitro
Published on: June 2, 2022
Related Concept Videos
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:30Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction