Mammography Can Detect Not Only Breast Cancer But Heart Disease Too!

Mammograms performed to check the health of the breasts could also give clues to the health of the heart.

Mammography is a routine screening procedure advised to check the health of the breasts. It helps in detecting tumors or lumps in the breasts that pose a risk of cancer.

A new study by researchers at Mount Sinai University has found that digital mammography can also predict the possibility of heart disease. They evaluated cardiovascular disease risk factors in around 292 women who had undergone digital mammography and a chest computed tomography (CT) scan.

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‘Mammography can detect the presence of calcium in the arteries of the breast, which is indicative of significant cardiovascular disease. ’

Mammography detects the presence of calcium in the breast arteries which reflects the presence of calcium in the coronary arteries, that supply blood to the heart. Calcification of coronary arteries is an early sign of heart disease.

Researchers analyzed several factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose levels in the participants. They found that about 42 percent of women had higher levels of calcium in the arteries of their breasts. Also, the risk of hypertension and chronic kidney disease increased in women who had higher amounts of calcium than those with low levels of calcium in the breast arteries.

Further analysis showed that the presence of breast arterial calcium was about 70 percent accurate in predicting the presence of calcium in the coronary arteries.

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Authors suggest that women should ask their doctors about calcification in their breasts after taking a mammogram as it can predict their heart disease risk and also help in undergoing further treatments.

Source-Medindia

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