Coronary calcium scores ‘can’t rule out stenosis in under-60s’
Many younger patients with obstructive coronary artery disease have a zero score, study shows
In patients aged younger than 60 with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease, an imaging score of zero does not rule out the condition, researchers say.
“Our results provide nuanced information for clinicians on the value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) as a gatekeeper for more advanced testing in patients with stable chest pain,” says lead author Dr Martin Mortensen, of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark.
The team analysed data from nearly 24,000 symptomatic patients (median age 58, 55% women) in the Western Denmark Heart Registry and followed them for a median of 4.3 years.
More than half (54%) had a CAC score of zero.
