Abstract

CACCAVO, Alberto; BRODSKY, Rubén L.; ROLANDI, Florencia  and  CACCAVO, Francisco. Fluoroscopic Detection of Coronary Artery Calcification may Predict Long-Term Mortality. Rev. argent. cardiol. [online]. 2014, vol.82, n.4, pp.322-325. ISSN 1850-3748.

Introduction Coronary artery calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis. Fluoroscopy is a simple and accessible method to detect coronary artery calcification. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of fluoroscopic detection of coronary artery calcification as an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in the long-term. Methods A prospective cohort of persons ≥45 years without documented cardiovascular disease underwent fluoroscopic examination to identify the presence of coronary artery calcification. A Cox regression model was used to evaluate the independent effect of calcification as a predictor of mortality in the long-term. Results A total of 857 persons were included. Follow-up was completed in 98.7% of cases with an average of 14.4 ± 4.3 years (range: 34 days to 20.8 years). Mean age was 61.3 ± 9.7 years, 88.9% had hypertension, 19.6% had high cholesterol levels, 1.8% were diabetics and 52.7% were men. Coronary artery calcification was detected in 264 patients (32%). The presence of coronary artery calcification was associated with age, male sex and high cholesterol levels. All-cause long-term mortality was 28.3% and cardiovascular mortality was 14.9%. The presence of coronary artery calcification was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2-2.0; p = 0.002) and of cardiovascular mortality (HR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6-3.9; p = 0.002). All-cause mortality without calcification was 1.35 per 100 patient-years and 3.39 per 100 patient-years with calcification [p (log rank test) < 0.0001]. Conclusion Fluoroscopic detection of coronary artery calcification may predict all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in the long-term in a population without documented cardiovascular disease.

Keywords : Fluoroscopy; Coronary Disease; Mortality.

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