Aim: The purpose of this study was evaluating relationship between coronary calcium score in detecting the risk of coronary artery disease in patients with heart failure.
Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is an abnormality of cardiac structure or function leading to failure of the heart to oxygen delivery. Angiography is discussed as a gold standard for diagnosis of coronary artery disease but Cardiac CT-Scan recently is typical imaging technique which is low-cost and non-aggressive technique to determine coronary artery calcification.
Methods: This is case-control study that was conducted in Services Hospital. All Patients referring to Heart failure department were EF (Ejection fraction) ≤35% and all of them previously examined by Coronary Angiograghy or Coronary CT-Angiography to know the coronary artery status. The case group was patients with CAD related heart failure and control group was patients with normal coronary or Non-CAD Related-HF. All patients in both groups were evaluated with Conventional CT-Scan for calculated the Calcium score.
Results: Ninety patients with HF divided into case group (n=40) and control group (n=50). The average of EF in case group was 29.25±5.05 and in control group was 27.7±7.09. The amounts of calcium score in each Categories (Mild, Moderate, Severe and Extensive) in case group was 33%, 18%, 13% and 5%, but control group in Categories (Mild, Moderate, Severe) was 20%, 6% and 4% respectively.
There was a statistically significant correlation (r=0.835; p<0.0001) between calcium score and results of angiography. There was linear relationship between calcium score and age of patients with heart failure (r2=0.807). No significant difference was found between genders in terms of calcium score (p=0.353).
Conclusion: There was high correlation between calcium score and results of angiography. Calcium scoring is reliable tool for screening patients with CAD.