Coronary artery calcium findings in asymptomatic subjects with family history of premature coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
To evaluate the frequency of positive coronary arteries calcium (CAC) scores in a unique population of asymptomatic first degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with angiographically confirmed early onset of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to assess their association with carotid ultrasound findings and other cardiovascular risk factors.


RESULTS
We scanned, using 64-slice multi-detector computed tomography, 57 asymptomatic FDRs (47 ± 9 years old; 44% male, 56% female), out of the 111 FDRs previously phenotyped for cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. The controls were 616 individuals (57 ± 10 years old; 76% male, 24% female) with no family history of cardiovascular disease, chest pain or diabetes selected out of the 3500 subjects scanned between 2002 and 2007. FDRs had higher risk of abnormal CAC scores compared to controls; odds ratio (OR) for the 75th percentile was 1.96 (95% CI 1.04-3.67, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of abnormal CAC scores is two-fold higher in asymptomatic FDRs than in controls. CAC scan provides additional information on CV risk assessment in asymptomatic FDRs, particularly for those in the intermediate risk category.


BACKGROUND
NCT00387595.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Catalin
C
Taraboanta
Cameron J
CJ
Hague
G B John
GB
Mancini
Bruce B
BB
Forster
Jiri
J
Frohlich
D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014463:Ultrasonography; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*