Bone mineral density and long-term progression of aortic valve and mitral annular calcification: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background And Aims: Bone and mineral metabolism has been implicated in the pathophysiology of cardiac valve calcification. Whether bone demineralization, a common aging-related disorder, promotes calcific valve disease remains uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that low bone mineral density (BMD) is associated with greater incidence/progression of cardiac valve calcification in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Association of Aspirin and Other Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs With Vertebral Trabecular Bone: Data From Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a Population-Based Multicenter Cohort Study.

Objective: The objective of this article was to study the association of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: Spine BMD was evaluated in a subset of 2028 participants from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis cohort who were NSAID users (including aspirin) and underwent both lumbar and thoracic imaging. Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis is a prospective cohort study that includes 4 ethnic groups (white, Asian, African American, and Hispanic).

Left ventricular area on non-contrast cardiac computed tomography as a predictor of incident heart failure - The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: The use of non-contrast cardiac computed tomography measurements to predict heart failure (HF) has not been studied. In the present study we evaluated the prognostic value of left ventricular area adjusted for the body surface area (LVA-BSA) measured by non-contrast cardiac CT to predict incident HF and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.

Methods: We studied left ventricular dimensions and calculated LVA-BSA in 6781 participants of the MESA study (mean age: was 62 ± 10 years, 53% females; 62% non-white) free from prior HF who underwent non-contrast cardiac CT to evaluate the coronary artery calcium score (CAC) at baseline and were followed up for a median of 10.

[The correlation of the stroke volume with pulmonary venous volume and left atrial volume].

Objective: The same person's pulmonary venous blood volume, left atrial volume and stroke volume were measured by lung CT scans and cardiac CT angiography (CTA). Then their relationships were analyzed in order to investigate the mechanism of breathing control.

Methods: As we described before, full pulmonary vascular (-0.

[Normal reference values and predict equations of heart function].

Objective: For heart functional parameters, we commonly used normal range. The reference values and predict formulas of heart functional parameters and their relationships with individual characteristics are still lack.

Methods: Left ventricular (LV) volumes (end-diastolic volume and end-systolic volume), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and cardiac output (CO) were measured by cardiac CT angiography (CAT) in 1 200 healthy Caucasian volunteers, men 807 and women 393, and age 20-90yr.

[Preliminary reports of noninvasive accurate method to measure pulmonary vascular capacity in normal volunteers].

Objective: Because the traditional loop of breathing control and regulation effect on blood circulation, there was rare study of pulmonary vein capacity. We need a noninvasive and accurate pulmonary vascular capacity measurement and analysis method.

Methods: Twelve normal volunteers were performed a total lung CT scan, image data analysis processing by computer software, the whole lungs from the apex to the base of lung with 40-50 layers by hand-cut, the connection between adjacent layers automatically by a computer simulation, the full pulmonary vascular (≥ 0.

Sex-specific biatrial volumetric measurements obtained with use of multidetector computed tomography in subjects with and without coronary artery disease.

Atrial volumetric measurement has proven clinical implications. Advances in cardiac imaging, notably the precision enabled by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), herald the need for new criteria of what constitutes normal volumetric measurements. With use of 64-slice MDCT, we compared the atrial volumes in healthy individuals with those in individuals with coronary artery disease.

Relation of thoracic aortic distensibility to left ventricular area (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]).

Decreased arterial compliance is an early manifestation of adverse structural and functional changes within the vessel wall. Its correlation with left ventricular (LV) area on computed tomography, a marker of LV remodeling, has not been well demonstrated. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that decreasing aortic compliance and increasing arterial stiffness are independently associated with increased LV area.

Physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, and the presence of coronary calcium in midlife women.

Background: Atherosclerotic calcification is a risk factor for cardiovascular events, independent of other traditional risk factors. Studies of the relation of menopausal hormone therapy to cardiovascular events have had inconsistent results, and often have been confounded by lifestyle behaviors and the "healthy user" effect. The authors evaluated the cross-sectional association of hormone therapy use with the presence and severity of atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, independent of lifestyle factors, including diet and physical activity levels.

Myocardial hypo-enhancement on resting computed tomography angiography images accurately identifies myocardial hypoperfusion.

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the diagnostic accuracy of myocardial CT perfusion (CTP) imaging using color and gray-scale image analysis.

Background: Current myocardial CTP techniques have varying diagnostic accuracy and are prone to artifacts that impair detection. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of color and/or gray-scale CTP and the application of artifact criteria to detect hypoperfusion.

Measurement of thoracic bone mineral density with quantitative CT.

Purpose: To create standard thoracic bone mineral density (BMD) values for patients undergoing cardiac computed tomography (CT) by using thoracic quantitative CT and to compare these BMDs (in a subpopulation) with those obtained by using lumbar spine quantitative CT.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study. A total of 9585 asymptomatic subjects (mean age, 56 years; age range, 30-90 years) who underwent coronary artery calcium scanning, including 4131 women, were examined.

Coronary artery calcium and plaque association with left ventricular mass, assessed by multi-row detector computed tomography.

Introduction: Few studies have been published describing the association of coronary plaques and coronary artery calcium (CAC) to left ventricular (LV) mass and LV function using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT). Coronary plaques can potentially influence the LV function. We sought to evaluate LV mass and function on MDCT and its correlation with CAC and plaque burden in the coronary arteries.

Accuracy in quantification of coronary calcification with CT: a cork-dog heart phantom study.

Rationale And Objectives: Coronary artery calcium is a sensitive risk predictor of cardiac events. However, measurement of calcium foci is affected by partial-volume effects, which ultimately have an effect on accuracy and reproducibility of calcium scores. In this study, we describe the accuracy of quantification of calcium foci of known size and density using cork-dog heart phantoms.

Prospective randomized trial of venous cardiac computed tomographic angiography for facilitation of cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: Cardiovascular computed tomographic angiography (CTA) can visualize the coronary veins. We sought to assess the ability of CTA to facilitate resynchronization therapy (CRT) procedures using a prospective randomized single-center pilot study.

Methods: Patients underwent CTA for characterization of cardiomyopathy prior to biventricular implantable cardiac-defibrillator implant.

Comparison of left ventricular size by computed tomography with magnetic resonance imaging measures of left ventricle mass and volumes: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Background: A non-contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (NCE-CCT) scan for assessing coronary artery calcification (CAC) is being increasingly used for assessing underlying burden of atherosclerosis. Although many studies document the potential value of measuring CAC, little is known about the other measures such as left ventricular (LV) geometry that can be obtained from the same scan data.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the accuracy of noncontrast CT-derived LV size (LVS; sum of LV volume and mass) compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived measures as the clinical reference standard.

Inflammation and descending thoracic aortic calcification as detected by computed tomography: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Inflammation is related to many stages of atherosclerosis, and inflammatory markers have been associated with both atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events. Descending thoracic aortic calcification (DTAC) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis, however, no previous study has examined the relationship of inflammatory markers and DTAC as detected by computed tomography (CT) in a large study. We examined whether C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are independently associated with DTAC.

Comparison of three generations of electron beam tomography on image noise and reproducibility, a phantom study.

Unlabelled: The detection of coronary artery calcification (CAC) using the electron beam tomography (EBT) scanner provides a noninvasive indicator for coronary artery disease (CAD). Physicians interested in preventative medicine also are using this modality to track atherosclerosis over time. Two new iterations of the EBT scanner have been introduced.

Reproducibility of CT measurements of aortic valve calcification, mitral annulus calcification, and aortic wall calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Rationale And Objectives: Extracoronary calcifications may have clinical significance. The error in extracoronary calcification measurements is still unknown. Accurate quantification of calcifications of the aortic valve (AVC), mitral annulus (MAC), and aortic wall (AWC) may be possible by using cardiac computed tomography (CT).

Multiphase contrast medium injection for optimization of computed tomographic coronary angiography.

Rationale And Objectives: Electron beam angiography is a minimally invasive imaging technique. Adequate vascular opacification throughout the study remains a critical issue for image quality. We hypothesized that vascular image opacification and uniformity of vascular enhancement between slices can be improved using multiphase contrast medium injection protocols.

Ethnic differences of the presence and severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

Background: Although cardiovascular risk factor levels are substantially different in Caucasians, African-American, Hispanics, and Asians, the relative rates of coronary heart disease in these groups are not consistent with these differences. The objective of the study is to assess the differences in the prevalence and severity of coronary artery calcification, as a measure of atherosclerosis, in these different ethnic groups.

Methods: Electron-beam tomography was performed in 16,560 asymptomatic men and women (Asians=1336, African-Americans=610, Hispanics=1256) aged >or=35 years referred by their physician for cardiovascular risk evaluation.

Coronary venous imaging with electron beam computed tomographic angiography: three-dimensional mapping and relationship with coronary arteries.

Background: The coronary venous system can provide vascular access for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Visualization of the coronary veins and their relationship to other cardiac structures may play an important role in facilitating these procedures. We sought to assess the ability of electron beam computed tomographic angiography (EBCTA) to characterize 3-dimensional (3-D) coronary venous anatomy.

Detection of small vessels with electron beam computed tomographic angiography using 1.5 and 3 mm collimator protocols.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of scanner collimation on the ability to detect small cardiac vessels using electron beam CT coronary angiography (EBA).

Materials And Methods: EBA scans from 40 patients who underwent study on two separate occasions with 3 mm (initial scan) and 1.5 mm (follow-up scan) collimation protocols were analyzed.

Effects of hormone replacement on progression of coronary calcium as measured by electron beam tomography.

Purpose: The recent Women's Health Initiative (WHI) results have demonstrated that combined estrogen plus progestin imparts a small but significant increase in cardiovascular risk and breast cancer among asymptomatic women. However, the effect and potential benefit of unopposed estrogen is not as clear. We sought to evaluate the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women using no hormone replacement therapy (HRT), combined therapy, and estrogen alone in an observational study.

Comparison of coronary artery calcium screening image quality between C-150 and e-Speed electron beam scanners.

Rationale And Objective: The newest generation of electron beam tomographic scanner (e-Speed) has increased spatial and temporal resolution compared with the C-150 XP scanner. The aim of this study was to evaluate coronary artery calcium screening image quality between the e-Speed and C-150 scanners (GE Imatron, San Francisco, CA).

Materials And Methods: Studies from 41 patients (14 women and 27 men) who underwent serial coronary artery calcium screening with the C-150 (first study) and the e-Speed (second study) were analyzed.

Association between progression of aortic valve calcification and coronary calcification: assessment by electron beam tomography.

Rationale And Objectives: It has been demonstrated that aortic valve calcification (AVC) shares many similarities with coronary atherosclerosis, including risk factors and pathologic characteristics. We sought to examine the relationship of AVC to coronary artery calcification (CC), to assess whether similar risk factors affect the process in a similar way.

Materials And Methods: The study included 620 asymptomatic persons (513 men and 107 women, mean age 59 years range [30-82]) who underwent two consecutive electron beam tomography (EBT) scans at least 1 year apart (mean 3.