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Association of breast arterial calcification and carotid intima-media thickness

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Abstract

Breast arterial calcification (BAC) on mammography has been identified as calcific medial sclerosis of medium-sized breast arteries, and has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular risk factors, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular mortality. Carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) is a well-known surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Consequently, the present study was designed to investigate the association between the presence of BAC on mammography and C-IMT. Twenty-five postmenopausal cases with BAC and 29 subjects without BAC on mammography were included in the study. Cardiovascular risk factors, number of childbirths, postmenopausal duration, and age at menopause were all noted besides detailed physical and laboratory examination. In the whole study population C-IMT was measured with B-mode ultrasound. The women with BAC had significantly increased number of childbirths, postmenopausal duration, frequency of diabetes mellitus, systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and CIMT (0.87 ± 0.17 mm versus 0.60 ± 0.19 mm) in comparison with the women without BAC (P < 0.05 for all). The C-IMT was correlated with age, number of childbirths, postmenopausal duration, presence of BAC, and serum triglyceride level (P < 0.05 for all). Independent predictors of C-IMT were the presence of BAC on mammography (β = 0.463, P < 0.001) and serum triglyceride level (β = 0.222, P = 0.042), whereas the only independent predictor of BAC was CIMT (χ2 = 23.41, β = 7.56, P = 0.004). Findings of the present study suggest that the BAC on mammography is independently associated with C-IMT. Screening mammographies merit to be evaluated for the presence of BAC, which might benefit cardiovascular preventive medicine in women by predicting atherosclerosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Harran University School of Medicine, P.K.: 112, 63100, Sanliurfa, Turkey

    Sema Yildiz, Ihsan Kaya & Salih Zeki Ziylan

  2. Department of Radiology, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Sema Yildiz, Nesrin Ertug & Enis Yuksel

  3. Department of Cardiology, Harran University School of Medicine, Sanliurfa, Turkey

    Ali Yildiz & Remzi Yilmaz

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  1. Sema Yildiz
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  2. Ali Yildiz
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Correspondence to Sema Yildiz.

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Yildiz, S., Yildiz, A., Ertug, N. et al. Association of breast arterial calcification and carotid intima-media thickness. Heart Vessels 23, 376–382 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-008-1058-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-008-1058-5

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