Alejandro González Veliz: Does More Calcium Mean More Stability
Alejandro González Veliz, Interventional Cardiologist at Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Sheran A Vasanthakumar et al., published in National Library of Medicine, adding:
“More Calcium. More stability?
Does increasing coronary calcium always indicate worsening atherosclerosis?
Not necessarily.
The CAUGHT-CAD study provides interesting insights into the relationship between statin therapy and coronary plaque composition.
Using serial coronary CT angiography over 3 years, investigators analyzed 840 coronary lesions from 338 asymptomatic, intermediate-risk individuals.
Key findings:
- Statin therapy was associated with regression of noncalcified plaque.
- Intermediate- and high-density calcium increased.
- Total calcified plaque volume did not differ significantly between groups.
- Greater LDL-C reduction (at least 30%) was associated with further progression of high- and very high-density calcium.
The take-home message:
- Plaque stabilization may involve more than simply reducing plaque volume. A shift toward denser calcium could reflect compositional plaque maturation.
However, these findings are hypothesis-generating.
Whether calcium densification translates into fewer cardiovascular events remains to be established.”
Title: Calcium Density as a Marker of Coronary Plaque Stabilization in Primary Prevention: The CAUGHT-CAD Trial
Authors: Sheran A Vasanthakumar, Stephen J Nicholls, Nitesh Nerlekar, Thomas H Marwick, Andrew Lin
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