Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) found on screening mammography and their association with cardiovascular disease.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2008
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) are common but unreported findings on screening mammograms. This study correlated mammographically detected BACs with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), estimating the relative risk of ASCVD in patients with BACs.
DESIGN: Women arriving for breast cancer screening mammography gave their consent to complete a questionnaire and to allow their mammograms to be analyzed independently for the presence of BACs by certified radiologists, who were blinded to the results of the questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed major risk factors for CAD and gathered information on hormone therapy use.
RESULTS: Of the 1,919 women with results, 268 were BAC positive, giving a BAC prevalence of 14%. Five cardiovascular risk factors (age, hypertension, hypercholesteremia, diabetes mellitus, and menopause) were significantly more prevalent in the BAC-positive population (P < 0.001). The BAC-positive group also had a significantly higher (P < 0.001) occurrence of ASCVD events (angina, previous myocardial infarction, previous abnormal angiography, previous stroke, and previous coronary artery bypass graft). Multiple logistic regression analysis found BACs to be strongly associated with ASCVD events (odds ratio = 2.29, 95% CI: 1.40-3.74) as compared with other CAD risk factors (including hypertension, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, age, and family history of ASCVD). The association of BAC with ASCVD was present even after accounting for age.
CONCLUSIONS: BACs are associated with an increased prevalence of both cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular morbidity. BACs may be a practical tool to use as a risk indicator for CAD in women.
Volume
15
Issue
2
First Page
276
Last Page
281
ISSN
1072-3714
Published In/Presented At
Rotter, M. A., Schnatz, P. F., Currier, A. A., Jr, & O'Sullivan, D. M. (2008). Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) found on screening mammography and their association with cardiovascular disease. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 15(2), 276–281. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e3181405d0a
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
17917612
Department(s)
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Document Type
Article