How Common Calcium is and its Short-Term Clinical Outcome in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography

Background: Beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia, coronary artery calcium (CAC) deposition plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and serves as an independent predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD). Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of CAC scores and assess their association with short-term clinical outcomes, particularly major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), within 30 days among patients undergoing coronary CT angiography at MTI Mardan. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at MTI Mardan from January 2017 to December 2022. Ethical approval was obtained from the hospital’s review board. CAC scores were calculated using the Agatston method, with retrospective data collection and analysis. All patients underwent a 30-day follow-up to monitor clinical outcomes including MACE. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Mean ± SD was calculated for quantitative variables, while frequencies and percentages were reported for categorical variables. Associations between CAC scores and MACE were analyzed using the Chi-Square test, with a p-value ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 158 patients aged 35–75 years were enrolled, with a mean age of 55 ± 10 years, and the majority being male (60.1%). CAC scores were found to correlate with the severity of coronary artery disease. Patients with higher CAC scores (101–500 and 501–1000) demonstrated a significantly increased incidence of MACE and adverse clinical outcomes during the 30-day follow-up. Conversely, those with lower CAC scores (0 and 1–10) experienced fewer events. Conclusion: Lower CAC scores are indicative of minimal or absent coronary artery disease and are associated with better short-term clinical outcomes. In contrast, increasing CAC scores are correlated with a higher prevalence of CAD and a greater risk of adverse cardiovascular events, including MACE, angina, ACS, and stroke. Keywords: Cholesterol, Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CAC), Coronary Artery Disease, MACE, Smoking.