Coronary calcium scores of 1000+ linked to double the risk of death
Patients with such extensive calcification have a similar risk to secondary prevention patients, researchers say
People with very high coronary artery calcium scores are at nearly five-fold higher risk of CVD and double the risk of all-cause mortality than people with a score of zero, a study shows.
These patients represent a ‘unique population’ requiring aggressive intervention, researchers say.
Investigators tracked more than 6800 participants from the six US cities in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) over a mean follow-up of 13.6 years.
They compared outcomes over that period for the 257 people who had very high coronary artery calcium (CAC) Agatston scores of 1000 or more at baseline with those who had lower scores, including 3400 with a score of zero.
