Coronary calcium scores highly effective in identifying heart disease in people without any known risk factors: Study

Whereas excessive ldl cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and smoking are well-known coronary heart illness dangers, not everybody who has a coronary heart assault has them. The truth is, earlier analysis has proven that 14% to 27% of coronary heart assault sufferers have none of those danger components.

Now, a brand new research from researchers at Intermountain Well being in Salt Lake Metropolis finds that these sufferers had one factor in widespread: all of them tended to have excessive ranges of coronary calcium.

Outcomes of the brand new Intermountain research present that scans that detect this type of plaque buildup must be thought-about as a part of their commonplace care, even within the absence of the 4 commonplace modifiable danger components, in order that these sufferers will be recognized and handled earlier than their first heart attack occasion happens.

“Measuring coronary calcium might have a serious impression on how we establish who’s in danger for heart disease,” mentioned Jeffrey L. Anderson, lead creator of the research and analysis doctor at Intermountain Well being. “We have to transcend simply the 4 main modifiable danger components as a result of there are danger components we do not but acknowledge or perceive about what’s inflicting elevated danger of coronary heart assault in these sufferers.”

Findings from the research have been introduced on the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 in Philadelphia on Nov 11, 2023.

Within the research, Intermountain researchers recognized 429 heart attack patients who additionally had coronary artery calcium scans. Of these, 369 had commonplace modifiable danger components (SMuRF), like a prognosis or remedy of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and or smoking; and 60 didn’t (SMuRF-less).

Researchers examined these sufferers’ calcium artery scan scores, after which additionally main antagonistic cardiovascular occasions, like one other coronary heart assault, stroke, or demise, at 60-days and long run.

Researchers discovered that SMuRF-less sufferers had high rates of, and better percentile of, coronary calcium scores. In addition they discovered that 77% of those sufferers met their standards for preventative remedy, like statins and/or aspirin. Sufferers with SMuRF, as anticipated, additionally had excessive CAC scores and percentiles. Outcomes have been extra favorable general for SMuRF-less sufferers and for these sufferers with decrease coronary artery calcium scores.

Whereas coronary artery calcium scans have gotten extra widespread and inexpensive, they’re nonetheless not a part of guideline-directed commonplace of care.

“We’re lacking a few quarter of people who find themselves in danger for coronary heart assault occasions as a result of we’re nonetheless counting on simply the usual danger components,” mentioned Dr. Anderson. “We’ve not been doing scans in low-risk sufferers that do not have these widespread risk factors, however that will want to vary given our findings, in order that we are able to establish these seemingly low-risk sufferers who care not, and supply preventive remedy.”

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Intermountain Healthcare