Besides assessing stroke risk, the researchers also sought to determine whether certain factors make it more likely for a woman to accumulate calcium in the blood vessels and milk ducts of the breasts. They found that calcification of blood vessels inside the breast was more common among older women, those with a low educational background, those with diabetes and women who had three or more children.
Milk duct calcification, which was not associated with an increased risk of stroke, was more common among older women, cigarette smokers and among those who used hormone replacement therapy after menopause.
Researchers say calcification of breast blood vessels and milk ducts may occur by different processes. The breast blood vessels probably become calcified as part of the atherosclerotic process, whereas the milk ducts become calcified from other medical conditions.
Women with diabetes were the most likely to have calcified blood vessels in their breasts, and also face a high risk of stroke, so these women should be monitored very closely for potential cardiovascular complications, says Iribarren The researchers caution that since their study relied on mammograms done up to 30 years ago, additional studies using modern high-resolution mammography techniques are needed to confirm these findings.
Calcification as a marker for heart disease or stroke risk has recently been a topic of high interest for researchers. For example, in recent years, a new imaging technique, Electron Beam Computed Tomography (EBCT), has made it possible to measure the amount of calcium in arteries. Studies have shown a correlation between the degree of calcification and the risk of heart
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Contact: Carole Bullock
carole.bullock@heart.org
214-706-1279
American Heart Association
25-Apr-2002