Multiethnic Study of Breast Arterial Calcium Gradation and CVD

Specific study aims are: 1) To establish a multi-ethnic cohort between the ages of 60 and 79 years with equal representation of white, African-American, Asian and Hispanic/Latina women. All participants will be recruited at the time of their regular screening mammography and will be free of clinical CVD at baseline. A new, validated densitometry method will be used to estimate BAC mass (in milligrams) using digital mammograms; 2) To document race/ethnic variation in BAC mass and to examine associations of BAC mass with sociodemographic background, family history of CVD, traditional and novel CVD risk factors, reproductive health factors, psychosocial factors, selected mineral metabolism factors, selected medication use (statins and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates), breast size and sleep-related factors; and 3) To elucidate the role of BAC mass in the prediction of coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and total CVD and to determine whether adding BAC mass to prediction models based on traditional risk factors improves classification of risk for total CVD and its components. Accomplishing these aims will provide novel insights into the utility of BAC mass as a screening tool to assess CVD risk.

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