CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION

Course overview

ARTERIAL CALCIUM DEVELOPMENT IS CLOSELY RELATED TO VASCULAR INJURY, INFLAMMATION, AND REPAIR. CALCIFICATION OCCURS VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS; HOWEVER, THE PRESENCE OF CORONARY CALCIFICATION IS UNIVERSAL IN ALL PATIENTS WITH DOCUMENTED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM IS MOST COMMONLY EVALUATED BY NONCONTRAST, ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC (ECG)-GATED CARDIAC ELECTRON BEAM COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY (EBCT) OR MULTIDETECTOR COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (MDCT). THE PRESENCE OF CORONARY CALCIUM SCORE IS ASSOCIATED WITH PLAQUE BURDEN; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT A MARKER OF PLAQUE VULNERABILITY. NONETHELESS, IT PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE PATIENT’S LEVEL OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK AND IS HELPFUL FOR GUIDING INTERVENTIONS OR PREVENTING CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CLINICAL EVALUATION OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN COORDINATING THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.