Improving the CAC Score by Addition of Regional Measures of Calcium Distribution: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate whether inclusion of simple measures of calcified plaque distribution might improve the ability of the traditional Agatston coronary artery calcium (CAC) score to predict cardiovascular events.

Background

Agatston CAC scoring does not include information on the location and distributional pattern of detectable calcified plaque.

Methods

We studied 3,262 (50%) individuals with baseline CAC >0 from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis). Multivessel CAC was defined by the number of coronary vessels with CAC (scored 1 to 4, including the left main). The "diffusivity index" was calculated as: 1 - (CAC in most affected vessel/total CAC), and was used to group participants into concentrated and diffuse CAC patterns. M

SUBMITTER: Blaha MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5055410 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature