The realization of routine mammograms can provide key information on the cardiovascular diseasesthanks to the detection of arterial calcifications, according to a study published in the journal Circulation.
This finding, according to the research team, may be useful for help determine the risk of postmenopausal women of suffering from heart disease and stroke.
Mammary arterial calcification is a calcium buildup in the middle layer of the arterial wall of the breast which is related to the aging, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and inflammation and is a marker of arterial stiffness.
These types of calcifications are not the same as those in the inner layer of the arteries, the one in contact with the blood, which usually occurs in people who smoke or in those with high cholesterol levels.
Mammary artery calcification is a common finding that appears as white areas in the mammary arteries on a mammogram, although it is not thought to be related to cancer.
The data indicated that women with mammary arterial calcification in mammography were 51% more likely to develop heart disease or suffer a stroke compared to those who did not have it.
Additionally, they were 23% more likely to develop any type of cardiovascular disease, including heart problems, stroke, heart failure and peripheral artery disease.
A team from the American health insurance company Kaiser Permanente reviewed the medical data of more than 5,000 women between 60 and 79 years of age who had no history of cardiovascular disease or breast cancer.
The group was followed through their medical records for six and a half years after a mammogram to see who had suffered a heart attack, stroke or developed other types of cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure.
2024-07-16 18:27:17
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