Coronary Artery Calcification: From Cell to Stent—A Review

Abstract

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a well-known entity, with a high incidence amounting to a third of the total coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. It is also associated with a high complication rate during percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, such as stent non-trackability, stent non-apposition, and underexpansion. The recent technological advances have helped to perform percutaneous coronary intervention in the calcified coronaries with better results. The management of calcified lesion was mainly concentrated on interventional techniques, this article gives a comprehensive review of CAC pathophysiology, its morphology, various diagnostic modalities, newer diagnostic tools, upcoming medical therapies, and interventional techniques. Newer therapies which include vitamin K and myoinositol hexaphosphate, their role in pathogenesis of CAC, and its future role in preventing and treating CAC are covered in this article.