Aortic calcification detected in a mass chest screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography unit - Relationship to risk factors and coronary artery disease

Background: There is a significant relationship between calcification of the aortic arch (Arch) detected by chest X-ray examination and coronary artery disease (CAD), but the relationship between risk factors, CAD and aortic calcification detected during a mass screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography (CT) unit remains unknown. Methods and Results: In total 2,623 subjects (1,347 men, and 1,276 women; mean age, 52.9 +/- 13.8) underwent an examination for lung cancer and tuberculosis using a mobile helical CT unit. The frequency of calcification was 19.6% in the Arch, 2.7% in the ascending aorta, and 10.1% in the descending aorta, values that were positively associated with age in both genders. Hypertension and smoking were significantly related to calcification of the thoracic aorta. There was a significant relationship between CAD and aortic calcification. The odds ratio of aortic calcification for patients with CAD increased as the number of calcified segments increased. Conclusions: These results suggest that detection of calcification in the thoracic aorta during a mass chest screening using a mobile helical CT unit can be used to evaluate the risk of CAD.