Are there gender differences regarding coronary artery calcification.

Abstract

This article reviews the current knowledge about coronary artery calcification in women, concentrating on the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic calcification, the gender and age differences in the detection of calcification by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT), and the clinical significance of detected coronary calcium. The effects of estrogen and vitamin D on vascular calcification are examined with respect to data that point to similarities between the processes of calcification and bone matrix formation. Gender and age differences in EBCT coronary calcium detection, with emphasis on differences and consequences of calcium prevalence, are also examined. Lastly, the diagnostic and prognostic significance of coronary calcification is discussed, noting that it is more significant in symptomatic, older, and high-risk adults than it is in younger individuals of either gender.