Coronary computed tomography angiography helps predict first coronary events

These findings are based on a large population-based sample of individuals without established clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease for whom the addition of CCTA data added to traditional risk factors and coronary artery calcification score modestly improved prediction of coronary events at 8 years of follow-up. For this observational cohort study, a sample of 30,154 individuals underwent cardiopulmonary imaging, physical examinations, routine laboratory tests, questionnaires, and/or functional tests. This study included 24,791 individuals without previous cardiovascular disease for whom high-quality CCTA images were available, per the report.

The CCTA images supported identification of the extent of coronary atherosclerosis, presence of noncalcified atherosclerosis, and presence of coronary obstructive disease. During follow-up, 304 coronary events occurred. The addition of CCTA contributed to them being reclassified to a higher-risk category. The investigators suggested this refined risk classification could better identify a patient’s need for primary prevention.