The impact of the menopause on coronary artery calcification examined by multislice computed tomography scanning.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether there is a difference in coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores between males and females aged above 50 years.


RESULTS
A total of 479 subjects aged between 40 and 70 years with no clinical or family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were enrolled for this study. All subjects were assessed by multislice CT scanning (MCTS), and the CAC scores obtained were assigned to one of four quartiles for further assessment and comparison. The main outcome evaluated was the percentage of high CAC scores and mean CAC scores, comparing males and females of different age groups. This study found that the percentage of high CAC scores increased markedly from 5% (40-49 age group) to 21.2% (50-59 age group) among females. The increase was significantly less when comparing males from different age groups (from 25% in the 40-49 age group to 31.2% in the 50-59 age group). Females had higher odds ratios (ORs) postmenopausally (4.3 in the 50-59 age group) than males in the same age group (1.6).


CONCLUSIONS
These initial findings seem to indicate that above 50 years of age, CAC is more dependent on age in females than in males, which might be due to the effect of the menopause.
Hsu
Chung-Hua
CH
Community Medicine Research Center and Institute of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, 155 Li-Nong Street, Sec. 2, Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chang
Steve G N
SG
Hwang
Kung-Chang
KC
Kuo
Chang-Feng
CF
Chang
Hen-Hong
HH
Chou
P H Pesus
PH
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015898:Tomography Scanners, X-Ray Computed