Valsa Mathew : Digital mammography can help predict heart disease
Mammography could help predict heart disease in women by detecting signs of calcium in the arteries of the breast. This could make early treatment possible, with potential benefits, especially for young women.
The findings are being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 65th Annual Scientific Session in Chicago, IL, and will also be published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Heart disease causes 22.4% of deaths among women in the US;cancer, particularly breast cancer, is responsible for 21.5% of fatalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these are two leading causes of death among women in the US.
Around 37 million mammograms a year take place in the US. The American Cancer Society recommend yearly mammography for women aged 40-54 years and those at high risk for breast cancer, and every 2 years for those aged 55 years and older.
Digital mammography, used in 96% of mammography units in the US, can detect calcifications. This information could help to indicate how much calcium is building up in the coronary arteries too.
Coronary arterial calcification (CAC) is a very early sign of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and previous research has associated CAC with breast arterial calcification and atherosclerotic disease, heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular conditions.
