Artificial-intelligence-assisted CCTA quantifies sex differences in coronary atherosclerotic burden at low atheroma volumes

IF 2.5 Q2 CARDIAC & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS

IJC Heart and Vasculature Pub Date : 2025-07-28 DOI:10.1016/j.ijcha.2025.101758

Zoee D’Costa , Ronald P. Karlsberg , Geoffrey W. Cho

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Coronary artery disease (CAD) manifests differently between sexes, with data suggesting females develop more non-calcified plaques that traditional calcium-centric tools may not detect.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 100 individuals with low total atheroma volume (TAV) < 250 mm³ using artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to assess sex-based differences in coronary plaque composition. Plaque subtypes included calcified, non-calcified, and low-density non-calcified atheroma volumes.

Results

Females had significantly lower total (p = 0.018) and non-calcified plaque (p < 0.001) burden compared to males. Calcified (p = 0.52) and low-density non-calcified (p = 0.16) plaque volumes did not differ significantly. Age was a consistent predictor of plaque volume across most subtypes.

Conclusions

Despite low overall plaque burden, males demonstrated a higher non-calcified plaque burden than females. This finding contrasts with previous literature and underscores the potential of AI-enabled CCTA to detect subclinical coronary disease, particularly in low-risk cohorts. These results support the use of comprehensive plaque profiling in both sexes to improve early risk stratification.

Abstract Image

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人工智能辅助CCTA量化低动脉粥样硬化体积下冠状动脉粥样硬化负荷的性别差异

背景：冠状动脉疾病（CAD）在性别之间表现不同，数据表明女性发展出更多的非钙化斑块，而传统的以钙为中心的工具可能无法检测到。方法：我们对100例低总动脉粥样硬化体积（TAV）和lt患者进行了回顾性队列研究；使用人工智能（AI）支持的冠状动脉计算机断层血管造影（CCTA）评估冠状动脉斑块组成的性别差异。斑块亚型包括钙化、非钙化和低密度非钙化斑块。结果女性患者总斑块数（p = 0.018）和非钙化斑块数(p <；0.001)，与男性相比。钙化斑块（p = 0.52）和低密度非钙化斑块（p = 0.16）的体积没有显著差异。年龄是大多数亚型斑块体积的一致预测因子。结论：尽管总体斑块负担较低，但男性的非钙化斑块负担高于女性。这一发现与以前的文献形成对比，强调了人工智能支持的CCTA检测亚临床冠状动脉疾病的潜力，特别是在低风险人群中。这些结果支持在两性中使用全面的斑块分析来改善早期风险分层。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

IJC Heart and Vasculature Medicine-Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

CiteScore

4.90

自引率

10.30%

发文量

216

审稿时长

56 days

期刊介绍： IJC Heart & Vasculature is an online-only, open-access journal dedicated to publishing original articles and reviews (also Editorials and Letters to the Editor) which report on structural and functional cardiovascular pathology, with an emphasis on imaging and disease pathophysiology. Articles must be authentic, educational, clinically relevant, and original in their content and scientific approach. IJC Heart & Vasculature requires the highest standards of scientific integrity in order to promote reliable, reproducible and verifiable research findings. All authors are advised to consult the Principles of Ethical Publishing in the International Journal of Cardiology before submitting a manuscript. Submission of a manuscript to this journal gives the publisher the right to publish that paper if it is accepted. Manuscripts may be edited to improve clarity and expression.