The Value of Computed Tomography-Derived Coronary Artery Calcification Score in Coronary Artery Disease Detection in Asymptomatic Hemodialysis Patients

• Published in: Renal failure Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 683 - 688
• Main Authors: Patsalas, Stavros, Eleftheriadis, Theodoros, Spaia, Sofia, Theodoroglou, Hariklia, Panou, Eleni, Liakopoulos, Vassilis, Antoniadi, Georgia, Passadakis, Ploumis, Vayonas, Georgios, Kanakis, Efthimios, Vargemezis, Vassilis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2005; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Age Distribution; Aged; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; aortic pulse wave velocity; Biological and medical sciences; Calcinosis - diagnosis; Calcinosis - epidemiology; Cohort Studies; Coronary Angiography - methods; coronary artery calcification; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Artery Disease - epidemiology; Emergency and intensive care: renal failure. Dialysis management; exercise electrocardiography; Exercise Test - methods; Female; Greece; hemodialysis; Humans; Incidence; Intensive care medicine; Kidney Failure, Chronic - diagnosis; Kidney Failure, Chronic - epidemiology; Kidney Failure, Chronic - therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Probability; Radioisotope Renography - methods; Reference Values; Renal Dialysis - adverse effects; Renal Dialysis - methods; Risk Assessment; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Distribution; thallium dipyridamole scintigraphy; Thallium Radioisotopes; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; Greece; Radionuclide study; Antianginal agent; Physical exercise; Thallium; Nephrology; thallium dipyridamole scintigraphy; Hemodialysis; Coronary vasodilator agent; aortic pulse wave velocity; Cardiovascular disease; Asymptomatic; Arterial pulse; Scintigraphy; Electrodiagnosis; Extrarenal dialysis; Blood vessel; exercise electrocardiography; Electrocardiography; Anesthesia; Aorta; Diagnosis; Resuscitation; Human; Radiodiagnosis; Coronary artery; Dipyridamole; coronary artery calcification; Coronary heart disease; Velocity; Antiplatelet agent; Score; Calcification; Value; Medical imagery; Computerized axial tomography; Circulatory system
• ISSN: 0886-022X; 1525-6049
• DOI: 10.1080/08860220500242579

Background. We evaluated the value of coronary artery calcification (CAC) score in coronary artery disease (CAD) detection in asymptomatic hemodialysis (HD) patients by evaluating the association among CAC score, exercise electrocardiography (EECG), and Thallium-201 dipyridamole scintigraphy. Correlation between aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and CAC score was also evaluated. Methods. CAC score was assessed with conventional computed tomography in 40 patients. Thirty patients completed EECG and 25; those with a positive CAC score and/or a positive EECG performed Thallium dipyridamole scintigraphy. Carotid-femoral PWV was assessed in all patients. Results. There was no association among CAC score and EECG or Thallium dipyridamole scintigraphy. In contrast, CAC score was correlated with aortic PWV. Conclusion. The previous results question the role of CAC score in the detection of CAD in asymptomatic HD patients. The correlation between CAC score and aortic PWV raises the possibility that CAC score represents more an indicator of coronary artery medial wall calcification than a marker of CAD.