Association of Coronary Artery Calcium Score with Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients Without Known Coronary Artery Disease

Elevated coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with increased cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) may aid cardiovascular risk assessment beyond traditional models, particularly in primary prevention populations. This study aimed to evaluate the association between CACS and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and its relationship with conventional cardiovascular risk models in patients without established coronary artery disease. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients aged >40 years with at least one cardiovascular risk factor who underwent computed tomography coronary angiography. Data on cardiovascular risk factors, medication use, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) score, MESA score, and CACS were collected. Among 100 patients (61% male; mean age 57.1 ± 10.7 years), 47% were at intermediate ASCVD risk. Median CACS was 65.0 (IQR 0.0–383.3). CACS was significantly associated with ASCVD and MESA scores. In multivariable analysis, glucose level, ASCVD score, and MESA score were significantly associated with MACE, while CACS showed a borderline association. These findings should be interpreted as exploratory and suggest that CACS reflects overall cardiovascular risk burden and may contribute to risk assessment when integrated with conventional approaches. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings.