title: Influence of cigarette smoking on coronary artery and aortic calcium among random samples from populations of middle-aged Japanese and Korean men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cigarette smoking is a risk factor of coronary heart disease. Vascular calcification such as coronary artery calcium (CAC) and aortic calcium (AC) is associated with coronary heart disease. The authors hypothesised that cigarette smoking is associated with coronary artery and aortic calcifications in Japanese and Koreans with high smoking prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Random samples from populations of 313 Japanese and 302 Korean men aged 40-49 years were examined for calcification of the coronary artery and aorta using electron beam CT. CAC and AC were quantified using the Agatston score. The authors examined the associations of cigarette smoking with CAC and AC after adjusting for conventional risk factors and alcohol consumption. Current and past smokers were combined and categorised into two groups using median pack-years as a cut-off point in each of Japanese and Koreans. The never-smoker group was used as a reference for the multiple logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ORs of CAC (score ≥10) for smokers with higher pack-years were 2.9 in Japanese (p<0.05) and 1.3 in Koreans (non-significant) compared with never-smokers. The ORs of AC (score ≥100) for smokers with higher pack-years were 10.4 in Japanese (p<0.05) and 3.6 in Koreans (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with CAC and AC in Japanese men, while cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with AC but not significantly with CAC in Korean men.
authors: Department of General Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Nobutaka
authors: N
authors: Hirooka
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Kadowaki
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Sekikawa
authors: Hirotsugu
authors: H
authors: Ueshima
authors: Jina
authors: J
authors: Choo
authors: Katsuyuki
authors: K
authors: Miura
authors: Tomonori
authors: T
authors: Okamura
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Fujiyoshi
authors: Sayaka
authors: S
authors: Kadowaki
authors: Aya
authors: A
authors: Kadota
authors: Yasuyuki
authors: Y
authors: Nakamura
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Maegawa
authors: Atsunori
authors: A
authors: Kashiwagi
authors: Kamal
authors: K
authors: Masaki
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Sutton-Tyrrell
authors: Lewis H
authors: LH
authors: Kuller
authors: J David
authors: JD
authors: Curb
authors: Chol
authors: C
authors: Shin
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000208:ethnology*