Predictive performance of aortic arch calcification for clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome that undergo percutaneous coronary intervention: A prospective clinical study

Currently, little is known regarding the predictive utility of aortic arch calcification (AAC) for clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The present study was designed to investigate the predictive performance of AAC as detected by chest x-ray for clinical outcomes among ACS patients undergoing PCI. A total of 912 patients who were diagnosed as ACS and treated with PCI were included in this prospective, cohort study. All study participants received chest x-rays on admission, and a semiquantitative 4-point scale was used to assess the extent of AAC. The primary end point was defined as a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) comprising death, nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and unplanned repeat revascularization. The key secondary end point was the composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal stroke, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. The prognostic values of AAC were assessed in multivariate Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses adjusted for major confounders. The mean follow-up duration was 917 days and, during the follow-up period, MACE occurred in 168 (18.4%) patients. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed significantly higher incidences of the primary and key secondary end points in patients with higher AAC grades (log-rank test; all P < .001). Multivariate Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses showed that, in comparison to AAC grade 0, the hazard ratios of AAC grades 1, 2, and 3 for predicting MACE were 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99–2.67), 2.15 (95% CI 1.27–3.62), and 2.88 (95% CI 1.41–5.86), respectively. The C-index of the variables, including peripheral arterial disease and serum levels of triglyceride for predicting MACE, was 0.644 (95% CI 0.600–0.687) versus 0.677 (95% CI 0.635–0.719) when AAC grades were also included; the continuous net reclassification improvement was 16.5% (8.7%–23.4%; P < .001). The extent of AAC as detected by chest x-ray is an independent predictor of MACE among ACS patients undergoing PCI. Further research is warranted to evaluate whether specific treatment strategies that are established based on AAC extent are needed for optimal risk reduction in relevant patient populations.