A study evaluated coronary artery calcium scoring in 2351 patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging who had normal perfusion results. 55% had a calcium score of 0, 36% had scores from 1-400, and 9% had scores above 400. Higher calcium scores were significantly associated with older age, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, diabetes, male sex, and family history. After adjustment, age, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia remained associated. Despite having normal myocardial perfusion, nearly 10% of patients had concerningly elevated calcium scores above 400, suggesting the potential utility of assessing coronary calcium even in some patients with normal perfusion.
Citation: Heston T, Merrill J, Bengel F, Wahl R. Coronary calcium scores in patients with normal myocardial perfusion. Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 2009;50(Suppl 2):1160.
URL: https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/50/supplement_2/1160
