TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond the Basics
T2 - Unraveling the Complexity of Coronary Artery Calcification
AU - Hashmi, Satwat
AU - Shah, Pashmina Wiqar
AU - Aherrahrou, Zouhair
AU - Aikawa, Elena
AU - Aherrahrou, Rédouane
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is mainly associated with coronary atherosclerosis, which is an indicator of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAC refers to the accumulation of calcium phosphate deposits, classified as micro- or macrocalcifications, that lead to the hardening and narrowing of the coronary arteries. CAC is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction and sudden death. Our narrative review focuses on the pathophysiology of CAC, exploring its link to plaque vulnerability, genetic factors, and how race and sex can affect the condition. We also examined the connection between the gut microbiome and CAC, and the impact of genetic variants on the cellular processes involved in vascular calcification and atherogenesis. We aimed to thoroughly analyze the existing literature to improve our understanding of CAC and its potential clinical and therapeutic implications.
AB - Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is mainly associated with coronary atherosclerosis, which is an indicator of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAC refers to the accumulation of calcium phosphate deposits, classified as micro- or macrocalcifications, that lead to the hardening and narrowing of the coronary arteries. CAC is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction and sudden death. Our narrative review focuses on the pathophysiology of CAC, exploring its link to plaque vulnerability, genetic factors, and how race and sex can affect the condition. We also examined the connection between the gut microbiome and CAC, and the impact of genetic variants on the cellular processes involved in vascular calcification and atherogenesis. We aimed to thoroughly analyze the existing literature to improve our understanding of CAC and its potential clinical and therapeutic implications.
KW - atherosclerosis
KW - coronary artery calcification
KW - coronary artery disease
KW - genetics
KW - genome-wide association studies
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85180426825&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/cells12242822
DO - 10.3390/cells12242822
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85180426825
SN - 2073-4409
VL - 12
JO - Cells
JF - Cells
IS - 24
M1 - 2822
ER -