title: Imaging Atherosclerotic Plaque Calcification: Translating Biology.
abstract: Calcification of atherosclerotic lesions was long thought to be an age - related, passive process, but increasingly data has revealed that atherosclerotic calcification is a more active process, involving complex signaling pathways and bone-like genetic programs. Initially, imaging of atherosclerotic calcification was limited to gross assessment of calcium burden, which is associated with total atherosclerotic burden and risk of cardiovascular mortality and of all cause mortality. More recently, sophisticated molecular imaging studies of the various processes involved in calcification have begun to elucidate information about plaque calcium composition and consequent vulnerability to rupture, leading to hard cardiovascular events like myocardial infarction. As such, there has been renewed interest in imaging calcification to advance risk assessment accuracy in an evolving era of precision medicine. Here we summarize recent advances in our understanding of the biologic process of atherosclerotic calcification as well as some of the molecular imaging tools used to assess it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Section of Cardiovascular Medicine), Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.|VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Section of Cardiovascular Medicine), Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.|VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meadows
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Section of Cardiovascular Medicine), Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA. alan_morrison@brown.edu.|Providence VA Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Avenue, Providence, RI, 02908, USA. alan_morrison@brown.edu.
authors.forename: Alan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Morrison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D057285:Precision Medicine
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Calcification; Coronary artery disease; Molecular imaging; Sodium fluoride PET; Vulnerable plaque