The study, led at Emory University School of Medicine, examined data from 123,762 women aged 40 to 79 who had breast screening at Emory Healthcare and another large health system. None had known cardiovascular disease when their mammograms were taken. Researchers used AI tools to measure calcium deposits in breast arteries, called breast arterial calcification (BAC).
Researchers classified BAC as absent, mild, moderate, or severe and compared later cardiovascular outcomes. Mild BAC was about 30% higher risk, moderate was more than 70% higher, and severe was two to three times higher risk. Women are recommended to start mammograms at age 40, and younger women may be overlooked. The team advised discussing mammogram findings with a doctor. The results were published in the European Heart Journal and the work was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Difficult words
- cardiovascular disease — Illness of the heart and blood vessels
- mammogram — X-ray image of the breastmammograms
- artery — Blood vessel that carries blood from the heartarteries
- calcification — Hardening when calcium builds in body tissue
- risk — Chance of harm or a bad result
- outcome — Result or effect after a health eventoutcomes
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Discussion questions
- If a mammogram shows calcification, what would you ask your doctor?
- Do you think regular mammograms can help find other health problems? Why or why not?
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