RSNA: Opportunistic Assessment of Aortic Calcium Predicts MACE
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Dec. 9, 2024 -- A fully automated algorithm to quantify aortic artery calcification (AAC) on computed tomography (CT) scans performed for other clinical purposes (opportunistic CT) can predict the risk for subsequent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, held from Dec. 1 to 5 in Chicago.
Miriam A. Bredella, M.D., from NYU Langone Health in New York City, and colleagues examined the clinical utility of fully automated AAC quantification for the development of MACE. A fully automated artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to quantify AAC using the Agatston score was retrospectively applied to 3,662 patients with evaluable abdominal CT and cardiac CT.
The researchers observed a positive correlation between the presence of coronary artery calcium and AAC (r = 0.56). In 324 patients (9 percent), MACE occurred after CT. In the AAC-absent and AAC-present groups, the incidence of MACE was 0.85 and 2.85 per 1,000 person-months, respectively. The presence of AAC was associated with a significant risk for MACE after adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and statin use (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.24).
"Instead of relying on dedicated CT scans of coronary arteries, which are rare and not always covered by insurance, to find potentially fatal heart disease, we seek to use AI to help screen abdominal CT scans that are done for many reasons to opportunistically catch heart disease more often and earlier," Bredella said in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Seniors With Certain Cardiovascular Diseases Saw Life's Essential 8 Scores Decline 2013 to 2018
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- From 2013 to 2018, older adults with heart failure, stroke, and hypertension experienced significant declines in Life's Essential 8 (LE8) scores...
Subcutaneous EEG System Feasible, Acceptable for Monitoring Seizures
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Novel subcutaneous electroencephalography (sqEEG) systems, consisting of a small electrode placed beneath the skin, are feasible and acceptable for...
Counties With Repeated Low Cervical Cancer Screening Have Worse Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20, 2025 -- Women in counties with repeatedly lower cervical cancer screening rates have nearly double the rate of cervical cancer incidence and mortality as...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.