Assessment of calcium index for the prediction of coronary artery stenosis severity
We examined 79 patients aged between 34 and 85 years using multislice computed tomography (MSCT) of the coronary arteries. Patients with calcium index (CI) < 100 demonstrated rare arterial stenosis areas. In 80% of patients with CI between 101 and 400, stenosis areas exceeded 50% and were multiple in all cases. Individuals with CI > 400 presented with multiple areas of coronary artery stenosis, largest of which exceeded 50%. There was a strong correlation between the CI and the number of stenosis areas (r = 0.899, p < 0.001) and maximum stenosis grade (r = 0.848, p < 0.001). Conclusion: assessment of CI at MSCT can be used as an important screening method for the detection of coronary atherosclerosis and evaluation of cardiovascular risk.