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The presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with elevated risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), but does CAC testing predict cardiovascular outcomes in women otherwise considered at low cardiovascular risk? To examine the relationship between CAC and cardiovascular outcomes more closely, investigators conducted a meta-analysis of five large cohort studies involving 6739 women (mean ages ranging from 44 to 63) with an estimated 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease of less than 7.5%.
CAC was present in 36.1% of the participants. During median follow-up ranging from 7.0 to 11.6 years, the risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, CHD death, or stroke) was significantly higher in …