Breast Arterial Calcifications as A Predictor of Cardiovascular Risk: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Breast arterial calcification (BAC) is considered a prediction tool for cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening as it has shown some association. The current systematic review reports the evidence on BAC detected on screening mammography and occurrence risk or likelihood of CVD among women. Methods: Three databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar, were searched by three independent reviewers. Results: A total of 34,887 patients across six studies were assessed in the systematic review. The incidence of BAC on the mammogram was 10.3%. The odds or likelihood of developing CVD was higher among BAC+ women. Hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and family history of CVD were more prevalent in BAC+ women and menopause. Conclusion: Further studies are required to develop a semi-quantitative index of BAC for CVD screening to establish BAC as a predictor of CVD further.