system
Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Aged, Calcinosis, Coronary Artery Disease, Female, Humans, Lipoproteins, LDL, Male, Middle Aged, Myocardial Infarction, Severity of Illness Index, Tomography, X-Ray Computed.
user
Are small coronary calcium deposits and elevated plasma levels of oxidized low density lipoprotein characteristic of acute myocardial infarction? Context: Predictions of the onset of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in high risk individuals are of great clinical importance. Among various risk factors, elevated levels of oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) in plasma have been shown to reflect unstable coronary plaques. Coronary calcification is a common finding in the elderly, however, its clinical implications as a risk factor for plaque rupture are controversial. This study was designed to investigate the clinical implications of plasma ox-LDL levels and coronary calcification detected by electron-beam computed tomography (EBCT), by comparing patients with AMI with those with stable angina pectoris (SAP). We measured plasma ox-LDL levels in AMI (n=34) and SAP (n=49) patients. In addition, a coronary calcium score was quantified with the Agatston system. The total coronary calcium score (TCS) was defined as the sum of the scores for each lesion. TCS and total calcium area were significantly smaller in patients with AMI than in those with SAP. On the other hand, plasma ox-LDL levels were significantly higher in AMI patients than in SAP patients (p<0.0005).
assistant
These results suggest that a combined assessment of coronary calcium and plasma ox-LDL levels may be useful for screening patients with unstable coronary plaques. Final Decision: yes