Chest CT illuminates mortality risk in people with COPD
Axial chest CT examination in a 54-year-old participant. A, On the axial noncontrast chest CT image, the pectoralis muscle (PM) area was segmented and measured in the section above the aortic arch. B, The subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) area as the area between the PM and the skin surface on the same section was also measured and the attenuation of pixels in the SAT area was used to determine the individualized threshold for the intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT). C, The IMAT within the PM was segmented as the areas with Hounsfield units below this threshold for the IMAT (arrowheads).
CREDIT
Radiological Society of North America
OAK BROOK, Ill. - Body composition information derived from routine chest CTs can provide important information on the overall health of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including their risk of all-cause mortality, according to a study published in Radiology.
COPD is a group of chronic, progressive lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis that affect about 30 million people in the United States alone. It is frequently associated with obesity and sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass and strength. Obesity is associated with lower mortality in patients with COPD. The longer survival rates of obese patients compared to leaner counterparts, a phenomenon known as the "obesity paradox," has been suggested in several chronic illnesses.
Chest CT is often used to characterize COPD, screen for lung cancer, or plan for surgical options. Beyond lung assessment, these exams offer an opportunity to assess obesity and sarcopenia through soft-tissue biomarkers.
"Chest CT scans have long focused on the lungs or heart," said study coauthor and Radiology editor David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. "Few prior investigators have evaluated muscle quality, bone density, or degeneration of the spine as an index of overall health. These are readily available and quantifiable in these CT examinations."
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