[Electron beam computed tomography as a method to study coronary atherosclerosis].

Coronary artery disease is very prevalent in western countries and it represents the most frequent cause of death for both men and women. In the United States over 7 million people suffer from this ailment and about 500,000 die each year from its complications. Often the presenting event is an acute myocardial infarction or sudden death and the cost for society both financial and in terms of human lives lost is excessive. Despite the emphasis on prevention of atherosclerosis, unheralded events continue to occur in the general population in the absence of established risk factors. Indeed, risk factors justify only 60-70% of the risk of events for an individual patient. The focus of research has therefore turned to the application of non-invasive modalities for the imaging of the atherosclerotic plaque in its pre-clinical stages. The aim is to apply this information to guide a physician in choosing the patient in need of more aggressive preventive measures. One such imaging modality, electron beam tomography, is employed to visualize the calcified component of the atherosclerotic plaque. Calcium deposition in the wall of the coronary arteries is a highly sensitive and specific marker of atherosclerotic disease. This article summarizes the extensive amount of research published during the past 15 years on the use of calcium imaging as a tool to predict events.