Evidence mapPaperPMID 40201144Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of preventive cardiology2025

Coronary artery calcium in a 20-year-old South Asian patient - pushing the limits of detecting "early disease".

Erfan Tasdighi, Charlie Brumley, Aashna Vajramani, Michael J Blaha, Anandita Agarwala

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Article in American journal of preventive cardiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Erfan TasdighiJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Charlie BrumleyCenter for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Cardiovascular Division, Baylor Scott and White Health Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, Plano, TX, United States.
Aashna VajramaniCenter for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Cardiovascular Division, Baylor Scott and White Health Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, Plano, TX, United States.
Michael J BlahaJohns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Anandita AgarwalaCenter for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Cardiovascular Division, Baylor Scott and White Health Heart Hospital Baylor Plano, Plano, TX, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) assessment has long been reserved for intermediate-risk individuals in mid- to older-adult populations. However, a growing body of evidence supports expanding CAC measurement to younger adults who exhibit multiple risk factors or other risk-enhancing features. We describe a case of a very young, 20-year-old, South Asian man with a CAC score of 15.7 Agatston Units. Despite his age and lack of overt symptoms, his CAC score placed him at the 99th percentile for his age and sex, underscoring the limitations of relying solely on traditional risk algorithms. Early CAC detection in such patients has potential for significant clinical impact, allowing timely implementation of intensive lifestyle modification and the most aggressive possible pharmacotherapy for cardiovascular risk reduction. Evidence indicates that even minimal CAC in very young individuals can progress exponentially, markedly increasing the risk of future atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Nonetheless, current guidelines do not recommend CAC testing in this population, creating a missed opportunity to detect and intervene in high-risk individuals during early adulthood. These observations underscore the need for more precise risk stratification strategies in select high-risk populations. Incorporating CAC measurements into care for young, high-risk individuals-alongside newer tools such as polygenic risk scores and low-radiation coronary CT angiography-could revolutionize preventive cardiology. Further research is needed to refine the cost-effectiveness and implementation strategies for early CAC measurement, develop more inclusive guidelines, and ensure a specialized workforce capable of delivering comprehensive preventive care.

Indexed as

AtherosclerosisCoronary artery calciumSouth Asian

Identifiers

PMID40201144
PMCPMC11977114

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.