Calcium Plaque Build-up in the Arteries Leads
to Coronary Heart Disease in Multi-Ethnic Groups
Having a build-up of calcium plaque in the arteries means increased
risk of heart attacks and death from heart disease in multiple
ethnic groups, according to new findings from the Multi-Ethnic
Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) funded by the National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Previous
studies have shown that increased coronary artery calcium is linked
to greater risk of heart disease events and deaths in Caucasians.
This study shows that this is true in other ethnic groups — blacks,
Hispanics and Chinese — even though the amount of calcium
build-up in these populations is low relative to Caucasians.
MESA evaluated 6,814 men and women with no prior heart disease
for coronary calcium using CT scanning, and followed them for an
average of 3.5 years.
"Coronary Artery Calcium as a Predictor of Near-Term Coronary
Heart Disease Events in Major American Ethnic Groups," will be
presented on March 26, 2007, at 9 a.m. at the Annual Scientific
Session of the American College of Cardiology, held in New Orleans.
Diane Bild, M.D., M.P.H., study co-author and acting deputy director
of the NHLBI?s Division of Prevention and Population Studies, is
available for comment. To schedule interviews, contact the NHLBI
Communications Office at 301-496-4236.
Link to more information on coronary plaque and heart disease
risk: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Atherosclerosis/Atherosclerosis_WhatIs.html
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts,
and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis,
and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and
sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education
campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children,
and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available
online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
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Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov.