Do breast arterial calcifications detected on routine mammography identify asymptomatic women at increased cardiovascular risk?
Incidental breast arterial calcifications found on routine screening mammograms could be a useful opportunistic marker to identify asymptomatic women at elevated cardiovascular risk.
Cardiovascular disease and breast cancer are the two main causes of mortality in women. Mammography as a screening test for breast cancer is recommended for all women from the age of 40 to 50 years. Mammographically detected breast arterial calcifications are currently considered an incidental finding without clinical importance, since they are not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. However, recent studies have shown that breast arterial calcifications on mammograms have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. These results suggest that breast arterial calcifications, detected during routine mammography, are a noteworthy finding that could be valuable in identifying asymptomatic women at increased cardiovascular risk.
Crystal et al. (Wed,) studied this question.