Age and gender distribution of coronary artery calcium measured by four-slice computed tomography in 2,030 persons with no symptoms of coronary artery disease.

C the Agatston criteria 1 are widely applied for defining the quantity of coronary calcium (“Agatston score”). To interpret the clinical significance of a given Agatston score, it is essential to consider the age and gender of the individual patient. Agatston score percentile values have been established on the basis of measurements from electron beam computed tomography (EBCT). Because of the distinct scanning modalities, these values may not be relevant for 4-S-computed tomographic (CT)derived measurements. There are no 4-S-CT-derived data regarding the distribution of the calcium score. Therefore, it was the aim of the present study to establish such values in patients with no symptoms of coronary artery disease in close analogy to the MultiEthnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) protocol for 4-S-CT. MESA is a population-based study currently being conducted in the United States to evaluate different modalities for detecting subclinical atherosclerotic disease. In addition, the influence of cardiovascular risk factors on the 4-S-CT calcium score was analyzed.