title: CT calcium scoring. History, current status and outlook.
abstract: Cardiovascular risk assessment has assumed a prominent role in the course of preventive care of all adults. Traditionally cardiovascular risk assessment has been performed using risk factors including gender, age, smoking history, lipid status, diabetes status, and family history. Increasingly, imaging has been deployed to directly detect coronary atherosclerotic disease. Quantification of coronary calcium (e.g., Agatston method, calcium mass and volume) is readily detected using helical CT scanners. Large multicenter cohort studies have enabled a better understanding of the relevance of coronary calcium detection. The purpose of this review is to review the methods for quantification of coronary artery calcium, as well as to present current and future perspectives on calcium scoring for cardiovascular risk stratification.
authors.affiliation: Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sandfort
authors.affiliation: Radiology and Imaging Sciences, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: david.bluemke@nih.gov.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bluemke
mesh_terms: D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: CT; Cardiac imaging; Coronary calcium