CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION

Course overview

THE PRESENCE OF CORONARY ARTERY CALCIFICATION (CAC) IS UNIVERSAL IN ALL PATIENTS WITH DOCUMENTED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD). THERE IS A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORONARY CALCIUM BURDEN AND ATHEROSCLEROSIS DESPITE NOT ALL PLAQUES BEING CALCIFIED. THIS ACCUMULATION TYPICALLY OCCURS AFTER THE AGE OF 40, AND MOST INDIVIDUALS OLDER THAN AGE 60 WILL HAVE DIFFUSE CALCIFICATION. CAC WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE DUE TO AGE-RELATED DEGENERATION BUT IS NOW RECOGNIZED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH CAD. CALCIFICATION OCCURS VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS; HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY DETECTABLE THROUGH IMAGING MODALITIES WHEN DEPOSITED IN TISSUE AND VASCULATURE. LESIONS WITHOUT CALCIUM ARE USUALLY NON-OCCLUSIVE. THEREFORE, CT ANGIOGRAPHY CAN BE A USEFUL TOOL FOR IMAGING CAC AS A SURROGATE FOR CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT ATHEROSCLEROSIS. 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.