SCIENTIFIC LETTER
Arterial calcium on mammograms is not associated with inflammatory markers for heart disease risk
1 Department of Cardiology, Isala Klinieken, Zwolle, the Netherlands
2 Julius Centre for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands
3 Preventicon Breast Cancer Screening Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands
4 Department of Radiology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Angela H E M Maas
Isala Klinieken, Department of Cardiology, Groot Wezenland 20, 8011 JW Zwolle, Netherlands; a.maas@diagram-zwolle.nl
Accepted 23 September 2005
Abbreviations: BAC, breast arterial calcium; CHD, coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; hs-CRP, high sensitivity C reactive protein; Prospect-EPIC, European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition; OR, odds ratio
Keywords: atherosclerosis; calcium; inflammatory markers; mammograms; risk factors
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Calcifications along the wall of the breast arteries are commonly seen on mammograms, but it is still unclear whether they can identify women at risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). In breast cancer screening populations the prevalence of breast arterial calcium (BAC) is 9%, whereas it is present in 23% of women at increased risk for CHD.1 Although several studies have shown that classic cardiovascular risk factors for atherosclerosis are associated with mammographic arterial calcifications, thus far the correlation with clinical coronary artery disease is controversial.2,3 As other factors such as the total number of pregnancies are important in the prevalence of BAC, its multiple causes remain poorly understood.1
Chronic low grade inflammation is an important aspect of atherosclerosis. Data on inflammatory markers such as fibrinogen and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) in calcification of atherosclerotic arteries are conflicting and not studied in arterial calcifications on mammograms.4 To further
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