title: Coronary Artery Disease Risk Factors, Coronary Artery Calcification and Coronary Bypass Surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerosis is an intimal disease which affects large and medium size arteries including aorta and carotid, coronary, cerebral and radial arteries. Calcium accumulated in the coronary arterial plaques have substantial contribution to the plaque volume. The aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and coronary arterial calcification, and to delineate the importance of CACS in coronary artery bypass surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study is retrospective and 410 patients admitted to our clinic with atypical chest pain and without known CAD were included. These individuals were evaluated by 16 slice electron beam computed tomography with suspicion of CAD and their calcium scores were calculated. Detailed demographic and medical history were obtained from all of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our study, we employed five different analyses using different coronary arterial calcification score (CACS) thresold levels reported in previous studies. All of the analyses, performed according to the previously defined thresold levels, showed that risk factors had strong positive relationship with CACS as mentioned in previous studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary arterial calcification is part of the athero-sclerotic process and although it can be detected in atherosclerotic vessel, it is absent in a normal vessel. It can be concluded that the clinical scores, even they are helpful, have some limitations in a significant part of the population for cardiovascular risk determination. It is important for an anastomosis region to be noncalcified in coronary bypass surgery. In a coronary artery, it will be helpness for showing of calcific field and anostomosis spot.
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Istanbul Bilim University, Florence Nightingale Hospital , Istanbul, Turkey .
authors.forename: Fatih Rifat
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Ulusoy
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Arel Universtiy, Medicana International Hospital , Istanbul, Turkey .
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yolcu
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Erzurum Region Training and Research Hospital , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Emrah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ipek
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Erzurum Region Training and Research Hospital , Erzurum, Turkey .
authors.forename: Ali Fuat
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Internal Medicine, Istanbul Bilim University, Florence Nightingale Hospital , Istanbul, Turkey .
authors.forename: Mehmet Yavuz
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Gurler
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Istanbul Bilim University, Florence Nightingale Hospital , Department of Cardiology, Istanbul, Turkey .
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulbaran
keywords: Colorectal cancer; Elderly; Morbidity; Mortality