Cardiac risk stratification: role of the coronary calcium score

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an integral part of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is the leading cause of death in industrialized nations and there is a constant effort to develop preventative strategies. The emphasis is on risk stratification and primary risk prevention in asym...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Vascular health and risk management 2010-01, Vol.6 (default), p.603-611
Main Authors: Sharma, Rakesh K, Sharma, Rajiv K, Voelker, Donald J, Singh, Vibhuti N, Pahuja, Deepak, Nash, Teresa, Reddy, Hanumanth K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Aged
angiography
Asymptomatic Diseases
CAC
Calcinosis - diagnosis
Calcinosis - pathology
cardiomyopathy
Cardiovascular disease
chest pain
Chest Pain - diagnosis
Coronary Angiography
coronary artery disease
coronary calcium scoring
Coronary Disease - diagnosis
Coronary Disease - pathology
Coronary Disease - prevention & control
Coronary vessels
Disease Progression
Emergency Service, Hospital
Female
Framingham
Health risk assessment
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mortality
Review
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
risk stratification
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Factors
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Summary:Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an integral part of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is the leading cause of death in industrialized nations and there is a constant effort to develop preventative strategies. The emphasis is on risk stratification and primary risk prevention in asymptomatic patients to decrease cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. The Framingham Risk Score predicts CHD events only moderately well where family history is not included as a risk factor. There has been an exploration for new tests for better risk stratification and risk factor modification. While the Framingham Risk Score, European Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation Project, and European Prospective Cardiovascular Munster study remain excellent tools for risk factor modification, the CAC score may have additional benefit in risk assessment. There have been several studies supporting the role of CAC score for prediction of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality. It has been shown to have great scope in risk stratification of asymptomatic patients in the emergency room. Additionally, it may help in assessment of progression or regression of coronary artery disease. Furthermore, the CAC score may help differentiate ischemic from nonischemic cardiomyopathy.
ISSN:1178-2048
1176-6344
1178-2048
DOI:10.2147/vhrm.s8753