title: Inverse associations between perceived racism and coronary artery calcification.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether racial discrimination is associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in African-American participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included American Black men (n = 571) and women (n = 791) aged 33 to 45 years in the CARDIA study. Perceived racial discrimination was assessed based on the Experiences of Discrimination scale (range, 1-35). CAC was evaluated using computed tomography. Primary analyses assessed associations between perceived racial discrimination and presence of CAC using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic position (SEP), psychosocial variables, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In age- and gender-adjusted logistic regression models, odds of CAC decreased as the perceived racial discrimination score increased (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.98 per 1-unit increase in Experiences of Discrimination scale). The relationship did not markedly change after further adjustment for SEP, psychosocial variables, or CHD risk factors (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.99).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perceived racial discrimination was negatively associated with CAC in this study. Estimation of more forms of racial discrimination as well as replication of analyses in other samples will help to confirm or refute these findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Nicholas_Everage@brown.edu
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Everage
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gjelsvik
authors.forename: Stephen T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: McGarvey
authors.forename: Crystal D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Linkletter
authors.forename: Eric B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Loucks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011287:Prejudice; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data