Hidden artery calcification found in young, healthy adults by Danish researchers

Danish researchers have uncovered evidence of hidden artery calcification in a significant portion of young, healthy adults. The study, conducted over two years, found that approximately one in every 13 individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 exhibited signs of this condition, which is linked to cardiovascular diseases. This discovery was made during a period when the condition is typically asymptomatic.

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What we aim for in this project is that we will develop much, much better prevention of artery calcification in the future. We know it can be prevented, but it requires us to find a new way to detect it.

The research is part of the Danish-led React initiative, focused on preventing cardiovascular diseases by identifying them early. The study's results were presented at a heart congress in Munich and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Professor Henning Bundgaard, who leads the Danish part of the project, stated that the goal is to develop much better prevention methods for artery calcification in the future.

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We are turning it all upside down. We want to see if one has artery calcification or not.

Across a total of 16,808 healthy adults aged 18-70, researchers used methods like ultrasound and CT scans to detect hidden calcification. While the prevalence of calcification increased with age, its presence in younger adults suggests a need for revised risk assessment. Current tools rely on just five factors: gender, age, smoking, blood pressure, and cholesterol, which Bundgaard suggests are insufficient for early detection.

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What we have from this study is that we have established the basis for who it is we need to go in and work with.

This study aims to create an age- and gender-specific atlas of early artery calcification. The findings will inform the next phase of the project, which will investigate treatments for early-stage calcification over the next five years. While widespread screening is not immediately recommended, researchers are working towards developing methods for broader screening, drawing parallels with the established screening practices in cancer care.

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We think that in the future we will develop screening programs so that we have the opportunity to prevent this major killer.