Calcium in Arteries Ups Heart Attack Risk
(NY, Reuters Health, 7/14/04)

Dr. Paolo Raggi from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and team, monitored calcium buildup in the arteries of 495 subjects who were being treated with cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The researchers found that patients who had substantial calcium accumulations in their arteries were 17 times more likely to experience a coronary event during the three-year follow-up period than their peers who had similar LDL (bad) cholesterol levels but no calcium deposits. When the scientists factored together both the rate of calcium change and the LDL level, they could make even more precise predictions of heart attack risk. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to assess vascular health in addition to performing the usual cholesterol tests on patients.

(Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, July 2004)