Background: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) predicts atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, inclusive of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, and is a decision-making aid for primary prevention. The predictive value of CAC categories for CHD and stroke separately and across sex and race groups of an asymptomatic population is unclear.
Methods: White, Black, and Hispanic participants of MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) and DHS (Dallas Heart Study) underwent CAC measurement at enrollment and were followed for incident ASCVD events.
Objective: Recent results from the Cardiovascular Trial of the Testosterone Trials showed that testosterone treatment of older men with low testosterone was associated with greater progression of noncalcified plaque (NCP). We evaluated the effect of anthropometric measures and cardiovascular biomarkers on plaque progression in individuals in the Testosterone Trial.
Methods: The Cardiovascular part of the trial included 170 men aged 65 years or older with low testosterone.
Objectives: We sought to evaluate the gender-specific predictive value of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in individuals with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).
Background: CAC score is a robust predictor of CVD and all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up in large cohorts in adults with DM. However, less is known about its sex-specific impact on all-cause mortality in DM.
Background: Mitral annular calcium (MAC), commonly identified by cardiac imaging, is associated with cardiovascular events and predisposes to the development of clinically important mitral valve regurgitation and mitral valve stenosis. However, its biological determinants remain largely unknown.
Objectives: The authors sought to evaluate whether a genetic predisposition to elevations in plasma lipids is associated with the presence of MAC.
After a decade of clinical use of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) to evaluate the anatomic severity of coronary artery disease, new methods of deriving functional information from CCTA have been developed. These methods utilize the anatomic information provided by CCTA in conjunction with computational fluid dynamics to calculate fractional flow reserve (FFR) values from CCTA image data sets. Computed tomography-derived FFR (CT-FFR) enables the identification of lesion-specific drop noninvasively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is inversely associated with diabetes mellitus, obesity and metabolic syndrome. We aim to characterize the association between NT-proBNP and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition strongly associated with metabolic syndrome.
Methods: 4529 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) free of cardiovascular disease, without self-reported liver disease and not diabetic at their baseline visit in 2000-2002 were included in this analysis.
Background: Estrogen therapy (ET) is associated with lower serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations and is known to increase bone mineral density (BMD). Other biomarkers of mineral metabolism may help understand the biological basis of these actions.
Methods: We studied 2767 postmenopausal women in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, 862 (31%) of whom were using ET.
Objective: To determine whether self-reported menopausal symptoms are associated with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis.
Setting: Multicenter, randomized controlled trial.
Despite convincing data demonstrating the benefits of aspirin (ASA), exercise, and dietary changes for both primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, they remain underused. In this study, we assess whether higher coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores determined by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) are associated with beneficial lifestyle behaviors in asymptomatic individuals. A total of 980 asymptomatic patients referred for EBCT risk assessment by their primary physician were sent a survey questioning them about health behaviors.
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