Coronary artery calcium score as a prognostic factor of adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19: a comprehensive review

Background and aim: The association of known cardiovascular risk factors and poor prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been recently emphasized. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is considered to be a risk predictor of cardiovascular events. Therefore, we have conducted a review of literature on the predictive value of CAC score predictive value in COVID-19 outcome. Method: A search of literature was conducted, aiming for articles published until December 2021 on PubMed and Scopus to identify potentially eligible studies. Discussion: A total of 18 articles were reviewed for association between higher CAC score and adverse outcomes in COVID-19. Conclusion: The coronary calcium score could be considered as a new radiological marker for risk assessment in COVID-19 patients and providing additional information in fields of prognosis and possible cardiovascular complications. High CAC score is associated with higher in-hospital death and adverse clinical outcomes in patients with confirmed COVID-19, which highlights the importance of calcium load testing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients and calls for attention to patients with high CAC scores.