Relationship between arterial vascular calcifications seen on screening mammograms and biochemical markers of endothelial injury

Eur J Radiol. 2009 Jan;69(1):87-92. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2007.08.030. Epub 2007 Oct 22.

Abstract

To assess whether breast arterial calcifications (BAC) are associated with altered serum markers of cardiovascular risk, mammograms and records from 1759 women (age range: 45-65 years) screened for breast cancer were revised. One hundred and forty seven (8.36%) women showed BAC. A total of 136 women with BAC and controls (mean age: 57 and 55 years, respectively) accepted entering the study. There were no significant differences in serum levels of urea, glucose, uric acid, creatinine, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, folic acid, vitamin B(12), TSH or cysteine, between both groups of patients. However, women with BAC showed higher serum levels of triglycerides (p=0.006), homocysteine (p=0.002) and hs-CRP (p=0.003) than women without BAC. Likewise, we found a significantly higher percentage of cases with an elevated LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (coronary risk index >2) amongst women with BAC than in women without BAC (56.7 and 38.2%, respectively; p=0.04). Our results indicate that the finding of BAC identify women showing altered serum markers of cardiovascular risk.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / blood*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • C-Reactive Protein / analysis
  • Calcinosis / blood*
  • Calcinosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Calcinosis / epidemiology
  • Cholesterol / blood
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Homocysteine / blood
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Mass Screening / statistics & numerical data*
  • Middle Aged
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / blood*
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / diagnostic imaging*
  • Peripheral Vascular Diseases / epidemiology
  • Radiography
  • Risk Assessment / methods
  • Risk Factors
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Triglycerides
  • Homocysteine
  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Cholesterol