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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
04:40
Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Clinical Risk Factors and High-Risk Plaques in Coronary Computed Tomography
Piotr Żarczyński1, Patrycja Brzóska-Ritter1, Maciej Haberka1
1Department of Cardiology, School of Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-635 Katowice, Poland.
Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Traditional cardiovascular risk factors do not predict high-risk atherosclerotic plaques (HRP) on coronary computed tomography (CCT). This finding suggests current risk assessment may underestimate the risk of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Radiology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Cardiovascular (CV) risk is typically assessed using traditional risk factors and coronary artery stenosis extent.
- High-risk atherosclerotic plaques (HRP), even without significant stenosis, contribute to acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and sudden cardiac death (SCD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive value of traditional clinical risk factors for the presence of HRP in patients undergoing coronary computed tomography (CCT).
Main Methods:
- A single-center study included 123 patients undergoing CCT for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD).
- Assessed atherosclerotic plaque morphology (HRP) and coronary artery stenosis (CAD-RADS categories).
- Analyzed CV risk factors, including LDL levels and CT Calcium score (CS).
Main Results:
- The cohort (average age 60.40 ± 12.45 years) had prevalent risk factors: hypertension (70%), diabetes (22%), obesity (30%), smoking (20%).
- Coronary atherosclerosis was present in 88% of patients; 39% had nonobstructive disease (CAD-RADS 1-2).
- HRP was identified in 22% of participants, with no significant differences in CV risk factors or identified clinical predictors between HRP+ and HRP- groups.
Conclusions:
- Traditional CV risk factors do not predict HRP detected by CCT.
- Current risk stratification may underestimate the actual risk of ACS and SCD in patients with HRP.
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