Relationship between Cardiovascular Calcium and Atrial Fibrillation

Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the relationship between the burden of CACS and extra-coronary calcium and the AF is unclear. This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed the data of 143,529 participants (74.9% men; mean age, 41.7 ± 8.6 years) who underwent health examination including non-contrast cardiac CT and electrocardiography, from 2010 to 2018 to evaluate the association between cardiac calcium and AF. AF was diagnosed in 679 participants. The prevalence of AF was significantly increased as the CACS increased (p < 0.01). Multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, alcohol, and history of coronary artery disease showed a significant association between a high CACS ≥1000 and AF (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.07–4.77, p = 0.032). In a subgroup analysis of participants with a CACS ≥100, aortic valve and thoracic aorta calcium were significantly associated with AF (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.57–7.77, p = 0.002 and OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.14–4.21, p = 0.01, respectively). High CACS was associated with AF, and extra-coronary atherosclerosis was associated with AF in participants with a moderate to very high CACS.

Role of Coronary Calcium Score as a Screening Tool for Excluding Significant Coronary Artery Disease in High Risk Asymptomatic Patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine correlation of zero coronary artery calcium score (CACS) with non-significant coronary artery stenosis by using computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA). METHODOLOGY: 62 patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent CACS test and CTCA from April 2018 to November 2020. Patients were examined with 160 slice multidetector CT and grouped according to their age, gender, CACS, and maximum coronary luminal stenosis. CACS was assessed using Agatston scoring and degree of stenosis was assessed by automatic software and severity was scored according to CAD-RADS. The correlation between these two main variables was calculated using Spearman rank correlation. RESULTS: The 62 patients were divided into four groups according to CACS, using the Agatston Unit (AU). Group 1; 0 AU (41 patients, 66.13%), Group 2; 1-100 AU (13 patients, 20.97%) Group 3; 101-400 AU (4 patients, 6.45%), Group 4; 401-1000 AU (4 patients, 6.45%). In 41 patients with zero calcium score (32 males and 9 females), 38 patients (92.68%) were found to have no coronary artery stenosis, 2 patients (4.87%) had mild coronary artery stenosis and 1 patient (2.43%) had moderate coronary artery stenosis. Total 35 patients presented for screening purpose out of which 25 (71%) had zero calcium score and no significant coronary artery disease. CONCLUSION: In high risk patients, zero calcium score excludes significant coronary artery stenosis (50%), hence coronary calcium score is a good screening tool before subjecting patients to coronary angiography.

Comparison of the Agatston score acquired with photon-counting detector CT and energy-integrating detector CT: ex vivo study of cadaveric hearts

The purpose of this study was to compare the correlation and agreement between AS derived from either an energy-integrating detector CT (EID-CT) or a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT). Reproducibility was also compared. In total, 26 calcified coronary lesions (from five cadaveric hearts) were identified for inclusion. The hearts were positioned in a chest phantom and scanned in both an EID-CT and a prototype PCD-CT. The EID-CT and PCD-CT acquisition and reconstruction parameters were matched. To evaluate the reproducibility, the phantom was manually repositioned, and an additional scan was performed using both methods. The EID-CT reconstructions were performed using the dedicated calcium score kernel Sa36. The PCD-CT reconstructions were performed with a vendor-recommended kernel (Qr36). Several monoenergetic energy levels (50–150 keV) were evaluated to find the closest match with the EID-CT scans. A semi-automatic evaluation of calcium score was performed on a post-processing multimodality workplace. The best match with Sa36 was PCD-CT Qr36 images, at a monoenergetic level of 72 keV. Statistical analyses showed excellent correlation and agreement. The correlation and agreement with regards to the Agatston score (AS) between the two methods, for each position as well as between the two positions for each method, were assessed with the Spearman´s rank correlation. The correlation coefficient, rho, was 0.98 and 0.97 respectively 0.99 and 0.98. The corresponding agreements were investigated by means of Bland–Altman plots. High correlation and agreement was observed between the AS derived from the EID-CT and a PCD-CT. Both methods also demonstrated excellent reproducibility.

Osteoporosis in patients with coronary artery disease after coronary bypas surgery

Aim. To determine the most significant predictors of an unfavorable progress of osteoporosis (OP) in men with coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) according to long-term (5 years) follow-up data.Methods. The prospective study included 393 patients (men) hospitalized for CABG. All patients underwent multispiral computed tomography of the coronary and carotid arteries to assess the calcium score (CS) and determine the equivalent density of calcium deposits (EDCD), coronary angiography, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. After 5 years (average 59 months) of follow-up, the prognosis (status alive/dead) was assessed in 335 patients. Mortality during follow-up in patients after CABG was 10.7% (36 patients died). 257 patients underwent repeated osteodensitometry, quantitative assessment of coronary and carotid calcification, assessment of the “end points” of bone status (osteoporotic fractures, osteoporosis).Results. During the five-year follow-up an increase in the prevalence of OP was noted from 76.1% to 90.7%, while in 43.6% of cases, the progression of OP was recorded. Fractures occurred in 39 patients (15.2%), and in 34 (13.2%) osteoporosis developed for the first time. OP progression is associated with smoking (OR 5.3, 95% CI 3.1–9.4), 30% or more carotid artery stenosis (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.9–10.7), baseline severe (more than 400) calcification of the coronary arteries (OR 2.7 at 95% CI 1.3–9.8), low density of (EDCD less than 0.19 g/mm3 ) coronary (OR 1.7 at 95% CI 1.1–8.2) and carotid (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4–10.3) calcium deposits. Linear regression analysis made it possible to establish that the reliable predictors of an unfavorable course of OP are coronary CS, EDCD of the carotid arteries, and the absence of statin therapy.Conclusion. OP progression in patients in the long-term period (5 years) after CABG was noted in 43.6%. The predictors of OP progression and the complications are a high level of coronary artery calcification, a low EDCD in the carotid arteries, and 30% or more stenosis of the carotid arteries. Patients receiving statins were associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis.

Toxic Metals and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Carotid, Femoral, and Coronary Vascular Territories: The Aragon Workers Health Study

Objective: Studies evaluating the association of metals with subclinical atherosclerosis are mostly limited to carotid arteries. We assessed individual and joint associations of nonessential metals exposure with subclinical atherosclerosis in 3 vascular territories. Approach and Results: One thousand eight hundred seventy-three Aragon Workers Health Study participants had urinary determinations of inorganic arsenic species, barium, cadmium, chromium, antimony, titanium, uranium, vanadium, and tungsten. Plaque presence in carotid and femoral arteries was determined by ultrasound. Coronary Agatston calcium score ≥1 was determined by computed tomography scan. Median arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, antimony, titanium, uranium, vanadium, and tungsten levels were 1.83, 1.98, 0.27, 1.18, 0.05, 9.8, 0.03, 0.66, and 0.23 μg/g creatinine, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for subclinical atherosclerosis presence in at least one territory was 1.25 (1.03–1.51) for arsenic, 1.67 (1.22–2.29) for cadmium, and 1.26 (1.04–1.52) for titanium. These associations were driven by arsenic and cadmium in carotid, cadmium and titanium in femoral, and titanium in coronary territories and mostly remained after additional adjustment for the other relevant metals. Titanium, cadmium, and antimony also showed positive associations with alternative definitions of increased coronary calcium. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression analysis simultaneously evaluating metal associations suggested an interaction between arsenic and the joint cadmium-titanium exposure. Conclusions: Our results support arsenic and cadmium and identify titanium and potentially antimony as atherosclerosis risk factors. Exposure reduction and mitigation interventions of these metals may decrease cardiovascular risk in individuals without clinical disease.

Association of Coronary artery Calcification and Thoracic Aortic Calcification with incident peripheral arterial disease in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

Aim The association of subclinical atherosclerotic disease in the coronary arteries and thoracic aorta with incident peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is unknown. We investigated the association between coronary artery calcium score (CACs) and thoracic aortic calcium score (TACs) with incident clinical and subclinical PAD. Methods and results The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) recruited 6,814 men and women aged 45 to 84 from four ethnic groups who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease at enrollment. CACs and TACs were measured from computed tomography scans. Participants with a baseline ABI≤0.90 or &gt; 1.4 were excluded. Abnormal ABI was defined as ABI≤ 0.9 or &gt; 1.4 at follow up exam. Multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models were used to test the associations between baseline CACs and TACs with incident abnormal ABI and clinical PAD respectively. A total of 6,409 participants (female: 52.8%) with a mean age of 61 years were analyzed. Over a median follow up of 16.7 years, 91 participants developed clinical PAD. In multivariable analysis, each unit increase in log (CACS+1) and log (TACs+1) were associated with 23% and 13% (P &lt; 0.01for both) higher risk of incident clinical PAD, respectively. In 5,725 (female:52.6%) participants with an available follow up ABI over median 9.2 years, each 1-unit increase in log (CACs+1) and log (TACs+1) were independently associated with 1.15-fold and 1.07-fold (P &lt; 0.01for both) higher odds of incident abnormal ABI respectively. Conclusions Higher baseline CACs and TACs predict abnormal ABI and clinical PAD independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factor and baseline ABI.