Analysis of risk factors associated with coronary artery calcification in coronary heart disease patients

Objective  To explore the incidence and clinical risk factors of coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients with coronary heart disease based on CT.

Methods  The clinical data of 865 patients with coronary heart disease admitted to the Department of Cardiology of Yongchuan Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 518 males and 347 females, aged (71.4±10.4) years. All patients were divided into CAC group (n=592) and non-CAC group (n=273) according to the imaging results, and the incidence of CAC was calculated. Clinical data such as the age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, hyperlipidemia history, diabetes history, hypertension history, chronic kidney disease (CKD) history, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) history, long-term statin taking history, glycosylated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) levels, systolic blood pressure, the type of coronary heart disease were analyzed by univariate analysis to determine the risk factors of CAC. Risk factors with statistically significant differences in univariate analysis were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis to screen for independent risk factors. Comparisons between the two groups were made using independent sample t-test or chi-square test.

Results  In 865 patients with coronary artery disease, the incidence of CAC was 68.4% (592/865). There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, hypertension history, CKD history, diabetes history, long-term statin taking history, LDL-C level, TG level, systolic blood pressure and stable angina pectoris between CAC and non-CAC groups (t=2.534−4.094, χ²=4.441−11.961, all P<0.05). Age (OR=1.039, 95%CI: 1.014−1.045, P<0.001), CKD history (OR=0.567, 95%CI: 0.338−0.951, P=0.031), long-term statin taking history (OR=0.655, 95%CI: 0.433−0.989, P=0.044) were independent risk factors for CAC.

Conclusions  CAC has a high incidence in patients with coronary artery disease. Age, CKD history, long-term statin taking history are independent risk factors for CAC.