Does the presence of coronary artery calcium on CT scan predict incident coronary heart disease and death in adults aged 32 to 46 years?
The presence of any coronary artery calcium in young adults (aged 32-46) is a marker of elevated risk for incident CHD and early death, suggesting a potential role for selective screening to guide primary prevention.
The presence of CAC among individuals aged between 32 and 46 years was associated with increased risk of fatal and nonfatal CHD during 12.5 years of follow-up. A CAC score of 100 or more was associated with early death. Adults younger than 50 years with any CAC, even with very low scores, identified on a computed tomographic scan are at elevated risk of clinical CHD, CVD, and death. Selective use of screening for CAC might be considered in individuals with risk factors in early adulthood to inform discussions about primary prevention.
Carr et al. (2017) studied this question.