Coronary artery calcium evaluation with chest CT strongly linked to severity of coronary disease and mortality

RESULTS

A total of 114 patients were included in this study. The mean time difference between chest CT and CAG was 23 months. Coronary artery calcium was visually classified as mild, moderate, and severe in 31%, 33%, and 16% of patients, respectively. Moderate or severe CAC was an independent predictor of significant lesions on CAG (OR 22; 95% CI 8-61; p<0.001) and all-cause mortality (OR 4; 95% CI 2-9; p=0.001). Quantitative CAC evaluation accurately predicted significant lesions on CAG (AUC 0.81; p<0.001). While significant CAC was identified in 80% of chest CTs, formal reporting was 25%.

Coronary artery calcium evaluation with chest CT was feasible and strongly associated with severity of coronary disease on CAG and mortality. Although the identification of CAC on chest CT represents a unique opportunity for cardiovascular risk stratification for preventive care, CAC underreporting is frequent.

Reference:

Silva, Beatriz Valente, et al. "Coronary Artery Calcium Identified On Non-Gated Chest CT Scans: a Wasted Opportunity for Preventive Cardiological Care." Heart, Lung & Circulation, 2023.

Keywords:

Heart, Lung and Circulation, Coronary artery, calcium, evaluation, with, chest, CT, strongly, associated, severity, coronary, disease, mortality