Hypercholesterolemia Is the Only Risk Factor Consistently Associated with Coronary Calcification in Three European...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Coronary calcification, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, has unclear predictors.
• Understanding these predictors is crucial for early cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between coronary artery calcium score (CACs) and CVD risk factors in symptomatic patients across three European countries.
• To identify independent predictors of CACs using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 550 symptomatic patients from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.
• Evaluation of demographic data, CVD risk factors (classified as low, intermediate, high), and CACs via MDCT.
• Statistical analysis including correlation and multivariate regression to identify independent predictors of CACs.

Main Results:

• The overall mean CACs was 270.3 ± 72, with intermediate CVD risk being most prevalent.
• Arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were the most common risk factors.
• Hypercholesterolemia, arterial hypertension, and the extent of CVD risk independently correlated with CACs.
• Hypercholesterolemia was the sole risk factor consistently associated with CACs across all studied countries.

Conclusions:

• Hypercholesterolemia is a significant independent predictor of coronary artery calcium.
• Managing hypercholesterolemia is critical for reducing coronary calcification in symptomatic European populations.
• The study underscores the value of MDCT in assessing subclinical atherosclerosis and its risk factors.