Lung cancer screening using low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) can detect coronary artery calcium, a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), in patients without cardiac symptoms. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that 83% of patients screened for lung cancer also had coronary artery calcium, with high levels in 30% of patients. This finding suggests that CT scans for lung cancer could also help identify and manage heart disease, the second leading cause of premature death in middle-aged adults. The pilot program’s success will depend on how clinicians handle these findings, but integrating cardiovascular disease prevention into lung cancer screening initiatives could potentially improve patient health outcomes.
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Lung cancer screening with computed tomography finds coronary artery disease in 83% of cases
