Calcifications on mammo could identify women at risk of CVD

Detecting breast arterial calcifications on routine mammograms could identify women at a higher risk of future cardiovascular disease (CVD), a study published March 13 in Clinical Imaging found. Researchers led by Shadi Azam, PhD, from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York found links between such calcifications and older age, diabetes, parity, younger age at first birth, and hypertension in women who underwent both screening mammography and cardiac CT angiography (CCTA). “Additionally, we found that when neither breast arterial calcifications nor coronary arterial calcifications were present, the estimated 10-year risk of developing atherosclerotic CVD was lowest, whereas the highest risk was observed when both [calcifications] were present,” Azam and colleagues wrote. Breast arterial calcifications are incidental findings on mammograms. While previous studies have suggested an association between these findings and cardiovascular diseases, questions remain about the clinical utility of reporting them and managing of women who have these calcifications on mammography. The Azam team studied lifestyle, reproductive, and cardiovascular determinants of breast arterial calcifications in women undergoing mammography screening. It also estimated 10-year atherosclerotic CVD risk via associations to breast and coronary arterial calcifications. The researchers collected data from 215 women aged 18 or older who underwent mammography and CCTA within a two-year period between 2007 ...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Womens Imaging Source Type: news