Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring can provide value as an independent predictor of 30-day or one-year mortality following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), according to new findings published in Radiology.
The study’s authors tracked data from 309 patients with severe aortic stenosis who underwent CT imaging during the planning process for TAVR. All data came from a nationwide TAVR registry, and patients were treated from May 2008 to September 2019.
There were 14 deaths—all from cardiovascular causes—after 30 days. There were 34 deaths—82% from cardiovascular causes—after one year.
Among patients included in this analysis, the median CAC score was 334. CAC scores higher than 1,000 were an accurate predictor of 30-day and one-year TAVR mortality.
In addition, the team noted, adding the CAC score helped make the commonly used European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation score more accurate.
Even with additional imaging exam, the team concluded that CAC scores could be used “for clinical decision-making in candidates for TAVR to guide the selection of medical, interventional or surgical approaches.”
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