Beyond the Heart: The Predictive Role of Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring in Non-Cardiovascular Disease Risk Stratification

Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS), a non-invasive measure of coronary atherosclerosis, has significantly enhanced cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment and stratification in asymptomatic individuals. More recently, a higher score for CAC has been associated with an increased risk of non-CV diseas...

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Main Authors: Viviana Cortiana, Hetvee Vaghela, Rahul Bakhle, Tony Santhosh, Oroshay Kaiwan, Aalia Tausif, Ashish Goel, Mohammed K. Suhail, Neil Patel, Omar Akram, Nirja Kaka, Yashendra Sethi, Arsalan Moinuddin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Diagnostics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/14/21/2349
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Summary:Coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS), a non-invasive measure of coronary atherosclerosis, has significantly enhanced cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment and stratification in asymptomatic individuals. More recently, a higher score for CAC has been associated with an increased risk of non-CV diseases and all-cause mortality. This review consolidated evidence supporting the role of CAC in assessing non-CV diseases, emphasizing its potential in early diagnosis and prognosis. We observed a strong association between CACS and non-CV diseases, viz., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, nephrolithiasis, stroke, dementia, malignancies, and several autoimmune diseases. Also, CAC may aid in evaluating the risk of CV conditions developing secondary to the non-CV diseases mentioned earlier. Further evidence from prospective studies, intervention trials, and population-based behavioral studies is needed to establish CAC cutoff values and explore preventative care applications, facilitating their broader integration into healthcare practices.
ISSN:2075-4418