this information provided to them and their primary care doctors,” he says.
Because this information can be obtained during a routine screening mammogram, there would be no extra cost or radiation exposure.
The findings were published March 15 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging.
Dr. Natalie Avella Cameron, an instructor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, co-wrote an editorial that accompanied the findings.
“If future research shows that BAC improves heart disease risk prediction among women not yet on cholesterol-lowering medications, BAC could serve as a powerful tool to help guide heart disease prevention for the millions of women who undergo routine mammography each year,” she says.
What precautions should women take?
But, Cameron notes, women without calcium build-up on their breast arteries can still develop heart disease.
“We should be assessing heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, and discussing how to optimize heart health through lifestyle changes such as eating a plant-based diet and staying active, regardless of BAC status,” she adds.
Knowledge of BAC status could be powerful and potentially life-saving information, says cardiologist Dr. Nieca Goldberg, who reviewed the findings. She’s medical director at Atria New York City and a clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University.
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“Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, yet many women are more worried about breast cancer,” Goldberg shares. “Women’s health issues are not siloed. A test for breast cancer can give us clues to heart disease risk, too.” According to the American Heart Association, only 36% of African American women know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.
Calcium build-up in arteries is an early sign of heart disease risk, she says.
“We don’t know how any intervention would change calcifications, but exercising, quitting smoking, getting diabetes under control, eating a healthier diet, and managing cholesterol and blood pressure can help lower risk for heart attack,” Goldberg concludes.