title: Breast arterial calcifications on mammograms do not predict coronary heart disease at coronary angiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine, in women who underwent cardiac catheterization, whether breast arterial calcifications (BACs) seen at screening mammography correlate with coronary heart disease (CHD) seen at coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant study, 172 women (mean age, 64.29 years +/- 11.97 [standard deviation]) who underwent coronary angiography were recruited, interviewed, and assigned to two groups: those with (CHD+) and those without (CHD-) CHD. The severity and location of the CHD were considered. Their mammograms were reviewed by a breast imaging specialist who was blinded to the CHD status. Student t test, chi(2), and multiple logistic regression tests were performed as appropriate. Presence of BAC was noted and correlated with presence of CHD and presence of cardiac risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 104 women with and 68 women without CHD. Thirty-seven (36%) women in the CHD+ group versus 20 (29%) in the CHD-group (P = .40) had BAC. The mean age of the patients with BAC, 72 years +/- 9.8, was significantly older than the mean age of the patients without BAC, 60.4 years +/- 11.1 (P < .001). Therefore, subjects were divided into those younger than 65 years and those 65 years and older. No correlation existed, despite the fact that BAC was associated with some cardiac risk factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors did not observe a correlation between BAC and coronary angiography-detected CHD, even when CHD severity was considered. On the basis of these results, caution should be exercised when using screening mammography-detected BAC to identify patients with CHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, 360 Seaview Ave, Staten Island, NY 10305, USA.
authors.forename: Mohammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Zgheib
authors.forename: Shalom S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Buchbinder
authors.forename: Nidal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abi Rafeh
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elya
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raia
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ahern
authors.forename: Marianne C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Costantino
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Flory
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lafferty
authors.forename: Mario R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Castellanos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018401:Sample Size; D012720:Severity of Illness Index