10 Mar Coronary Artery Calcium Raises Risk of Multiple Other Chronic Conditions

Posted at 00:52h in Author Interviews, Heart Disease, JACC by

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Cathy Handy, MD MPH Fellow, Department of Oncology Johns Hopkins Hospital

Dr. Cathy Handy

Cathy Handy, MD MPH 
Fellow, Department of Oncology
Johns Hopkins Hospital

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Handy: We explored the relationship between coronary artery calcium and age related diseases.  Coronary artery calcium refers to calcium deposits in the blood vessels of the heart.  It can be seen with a non invasive imaging test and is thought to be a biologic measure of aging.  Previous research has shown coronary artery calcium to be highly correlated with cardiovascular disease and mortality. We found that it is also associated with an increased risk of cancer, pneumonia, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hip fractures.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Handy: People with elevated levels of coronary artery calcium are not only at risk for developing heart disease, but are also at risk for multiple other chronic conditions.  People with no coronary artery calcium seem to be at much lower risk of not only developing heart disease, but also cancer and other common diseases of older adults.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Handy: Further research is needed to look into the relationship between coronary artery calcium and other age related diseases.   Additionally, it is not known how changes in coronary artery calcium over time affect one’s risk of developing the above mentioned diseases.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Handy CE, Desai CS, Dardari ZA, et al. The Association of Coronary Artery Calcium With Noncardiovascular Disease: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. J Am Coll Cardiol Img.2016;():. doi:10.1016/j.jcmg.2015.09.020.

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Cathy Handy, MD MPH (2016). Coronary Artery Calcium Raises Risk of Multiple Other Chronic Conditions 

Last Updated on March 10, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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