Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography
The risk prediction of future cardiovascular events is mainly based on conventional risk factor assessment by validated algorithms, such as the Framingham Risk Score, the Pooled Cohort Equations and the European SCORE Risk Charts. The identification of subclinical atherosclerosis has emerged as a pr...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/8/1668 |
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| author | Andrea Faggiano Gloria Santangelo Stefano Carugo Gregg Pressman Eugenio Picano Pompilio Faggiano |
| author_facet | Andrea Faggiano Gloria Santangelo Stefano Carugo Gregg Pressman Eugenio Picano Pompilio Faggiano |
| author_sort | Andrea Faggiano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The risk prediction of future cardiovascular events is mainly based on conventional risk factor assessment by validated algorithms, such as the Framingham Risk Score, the Pooled Cohort Equations and the European SCORE Risk Charts. The identification of subclinical atherosclerosis has emerged as a promising tool to refine the individual cardiovascular risk identified by these models, to prognostic stratify asymptomatic individuals and to implement preventive strategies. Several imaging modalities have been proposed for the identification of subclinical organ damage, the main ones being coronary artery calcification scanning by cardiac computed tomography and the two-dimensional ultrasound evaluation of carotid arteries. In this context, echocardiography offers an assessment of cardiac calcifications at different sites, such as the mitral apparatus (including annulus, leaflets and papillary muscles), aortic valve and ascending aorta, findings that are associated with the clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic disease and are predictive of future cardiovascular events. The aim of this paper is to summarize the available evidence on clinical implications of cardiac calcification, review studies that propose semiquantitative ultrasound assessments of cardiac calcifications and evaluate the potential of ultrasound calcium scores for risk stratification and prevention of clinical events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:21:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac4e4e51b26d4ca188e1590951c274c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0383 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:21:27Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Clinical Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac4e4e51b26d4ca188e1590951c274c52023-11-21T15:27:06ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832021-04-01108166810.3390/jcm10081668Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of EchocardiographyAndrea Faggiano0Gloria Santangelo1Stefano Carugo2Gregg Pressman3Eugenio Picano4Pompilio Faggiano5Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, ItalySan Paolo Hospital, Division of Cardiology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, 20144 Milan, ItalyFondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, ItalyDivision of Cardiology, Heart and Vascular Institute, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19141, USACNR, Institute of Clinical Physiology, Biomedicine Department, 56124 Pisa, ItalyFondazione Poliambulanza, Cardiovascular Disease Unit, University of Brescia, 25124 Brescia, ItalyThe risk prediction of future cardiovascular events is mainly based on conventional risk factor assessment by validated algorithms, such as the Framingham Risk Score, the Pooled Cohort Equations and the European SCORE Risk Charts. The identification of subclinical atherosclerosis has emerged as a promising tool to refine the individual cardiovascular risk identified by these models, to prognostic stratify asymptomatic individuals and to implement preventive strategies. Several imaging modalities have been proposed for the identification of subclinical organ damage, the main ones being coronary artery calcification scanning by cardiac computed tomography and the two-dimensional ultrasound evaluation of carotid arteries. In this context, echocardiography offers an assessment of cardiac calcifications at different sites, such as the mitral apparatus (including annulus, leaflets and papillary muscles), aortic valve and ascending aorta, findings that are associated with the clinical manifestation of atherosclerotic disease and are predictive of future cardiovascular events. The aim of this paper is to summarize the available evidence on clinical implications of cardiac calcification, review studies that propose semiquantitative ultrasound assessments of cardiac calcifications and evaluate the potential of ultrasound calcium scores for risk stratification and prevention of clinical events.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/8/1668subclinical atherosclerosiscardiac calcificationrisk reclassification |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Faggiano Gloria Santangelo Stefano Carugo Gregg Pressman Eugenio Picano Pompilio Faggiano Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography Journal of Clinical Medicine subclinical atherosclerosis cardiac calcification risk reclassification |
| title | Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography |
| title_full | Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography |
| title_fullStr | Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography |
| title_short | Cardiovascular Calcification as a Marker of Increased Cardiovascular Risk and a Surrogate for Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Role of Echocardiography |
| title_sort | cardiovascular calcification as a marker of increased cardiovascular risk and a surrogate for subclinical atherosclerosis role of echocardiography |
| topic | subclinical atherosclerosis cardiac calcification risk reclassification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/8/1668 |
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