title: Association between aortic calcification and stable obstructive coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is correlated with aortic calcification (AC) and predicts coronary atherosclerosis as well as obstructive coronary artery disease (OCAD). This study aims to investigate whether AC predicts OCAD independent of CAC and its incremental value in predicting OCAD with CAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among the consecutive patients who underwent 64-slice multidetector CT (MDCT), we enrolled 120 stable OCAD (luminal narrowing ≥ 50%) patients and 120 controls without OCAD, matched for cardiovascular risk factors. CAC, thoracic AC, and OCAD were determined by MDCT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of AC and CAC were significantly higher in OCAD patients than in controls (64% vs. 48%, p = 0.019; 57% vs. 32%, p < 0.001, respectively). There is a significant correlation between AC and CAC scores in the overall study population (r = 0.528, p < 0.001). In univariate analysis, the odds ratios (ORs) of AC and CAC in predicting OCAD were 1.91 (95% CI, 1.14-3.21) and 2.82 (95% CI, 1.67-4.78), respectively. When an adjustment was made for each other, AC did not maintain a significant association with OCAD, whereas CAC persisted the association (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.42-4.47). Both AC and CAC present as compared to both absent was found to be a more potent predictor for OCAD (OR, 3.37; 95% CI 1.78-6.36, p < 0.001) than CAC alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of AC was associated with stable OCAD independently from cardiovascular risk factors, but the association seemed to be based on the close correlation between AC and CAC. However, AC might have an incremental value with CAC for predicting OCAD.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eung Ju
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hwan Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Hong Seog
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Sung Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sun Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Na
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kanhaiya L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Poddar
authors.forename: Sureshkumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramasamy
authors.forename: Jin Oh
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Cheol Ung
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Hong Euy
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Eun Mi
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seung-Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Rha
authors.forename: Chang Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong Joo
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods