For the first time, the ECU research team has supplied images of AAC to try to influence behaviour for improved diet and physical activity and other indicators related to cardiovascular illnesses in older people in men and women.
AAC is considered a marker for advanced vascular disease; those with calcification of the aorta are at serious risks for both heart attacks and strokes, according to the ECU post-doctoral research fellow Dr. Simone Radavelli-Bagatini.
The authors, employing easily accessible bone densitometry equipment sensitive enough not to require invasive investigations, found abdominal aortic calcification in 60% men and women between the age of 60 to 80.
Patients who received the intervention were assigned to have either their abdominal aortic calcification imaging and educational materials (intervention group) or active education only (control group) in a randomised clinical trial.
‘’We wanted to know whether the notification of patients of their current level of abdominal aortic calcification and visualisation of calcification in the abdominal aorta will help people in increasing their fruit and vegetable consumption and engaging in other cardiovascular disease preventing practices”, added Dr. Radavelli-Bagatini.
In the past, presence of calcification in the coronary arteries around the heart was determined using imaging technology that is costly and produces high levels of radiation.
In the present work an attempt has been made to quantify the calcification in the abdominal aoa using bone densitometry which is less hazardous in terms of radiation exposure & costlier when compared with the traditional method.
Given that more than 600,000 people receive bone densitometry yearly for osteoporosis screening, detecting abdominal aortic calcification at the same time could prove revolutionary.
“Our work is the initial study performed to evaluate whether clinical utility, in a form of offering patients their abdominal aortic calcification image, can enhance proper management of CVD risk factors.”
Dr. Radavelli-Bagatini pointed out that the participants assigned to the intervention group as well as the control group enhanced their weekly frequency of fruits and vegetables’ consumption over 12 weeks as the results observed in both groups were comparable.
However, whilst the majority of people remain aware of public health messages and health promotion campaigns, few are able to meet healthy eating recommendations including fruit and vegetable intakes, concluded Dr. Radavelli-Bagatini.
Specifically, it is important to know whether giving out abdominal aortic calcification scores alongside personalised dietary and lifestyle advice will translate into sustained improvements in diets and cardiovascular disease risk factors, and reduction in heart attacks and strokes over time, said lead/senior author Dr Josh Lewis, a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow.
‘A healthy diet, exercise and being of a healthy weight, much of what puts a person at risk for heart disease can be altered’.
Reference: University EC. Providing patients with blood vessel calcification imaging results may improve cardiovascular risk control
