BREAST ARTERIAL CALCIFICATIONS - ASSOCIATION WITH DIABETES-MELLITUS AND CARDIOVASCULAR MORTALITY - WORK-IN-PROGRESS

PURPOSE: To determine the relationship between breast arterial calcifi cation, diabetes mellitus, and subsequent cardiovascular and noncardio vascular mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was carried out in 12,239 women aged 50-68 years who participated in a breast cancer screening program. The screening mammograms were coded for the presence of breast arterial calcification. Diabetes (n = 442) was defined as use of insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents, use of a re stricted diet for diabetes, or the presence of glucosuria. Data were a vailable from questionnaires and urine glucose tests. Hazard ratios, w hich were adjusted for age, smoking, parity, and obesity, were calcula ted from mortality data after 16-19 years of follow-up. RESULTS: Breas t arterial calcification was seen in 9.0% (1,107 of 12,239) of all wom en and in 15.4% (68 of 442) of the diabetic women. An excess cardiovas cular mortality of 40% (hazard ratio = 1.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 1.8) was found for all women with breast arterial calcification. In diabetic women, the presence of breast arterial calcification was a ssociated with a 90% (hazard ratio = 1.9; 95% confidence interval = 1. 1, 3.2) increase in cardiovascular mortality. CONCLUSION: Breast arter ial calcification represents an independent risk factor for cardiovasc ular mortality in women over 50 years of age, especially in those with diabetes.