Aortic arch calcification predicts the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with or without type 2 diabetes: short communication.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of aortic arch calcification for detection of severe coronary atherosclerosis in patients suffering from coronary artery disease (CAD), with or without type 2 diabetes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study included 107 type 2 diabetic patients (68 men) with a mean age of 62.4 +/- 10.7 years and a mean diabetes duration of 14.2 +/- 5.9 years and 104 patients (63 men) with a mean age of 64.5 +/- 9.3 years who did not have diabetes. All patients had CAD, documented by coronary arteriography. Severe CAD was defined as atherosclerosis of the left main branch or atherosclerosis of three coronary arteries or atherosclerosis of the proximal part of the left anterior descending artery. Aortic arch calcification was assessed by means of posteroanterior chest X-rays, studied by a radiologist kept blind to the result of coronary arteriography.

RESULTS

In type 2 diabetic patients, diagnosis of aortic arch calcification had 65.6% sensitivity and 86.9% specificity for detection of severe CAD. In patients without diabetes, diagnosis of aortic arch calcification had 47.7% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity for detection of severe CAD.

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic arch calcification has a high specificity for detection of severe coronary atherosclerosis in patients with CAD. Sensitivity is higher in patients with type 2 diabetes, while specificity is slightly higher in non-diabetic patients.