Mid- to Late-Life Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factor Exposure and Zero Coronary Artery Calcium: The ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study
Main finding · CAC 0Result — go to the resultOdds ratio 5.7 95% CI 2.3–16.7Authors' conclusion
Favorable average risk factor profiles at mid- to late-life were associated with a greater probability of CAC 0 at older age.
Study context
- Population
- Community-dwelling participants free of CHD in the ARIC study (median age 49 years in 1987–1989; median age 80 years in 2018–2019)
- Participants
- 2,044 participants
- Exposure
- ≈30-year time-weighted average mid- to late-life risk factors (cholesterol, SBP, fasting glucose, smoking) and late-life coronary artery calcium (CAC) 0
- Outcome
- CAC 0 (healthy arterial aging)
- Follow-up
- Late life (median age 80 years in 2018-2019)
Methodological detailsARIC study, community-dwelling
- ARIC study
- Community-dwelling
Main finding
CAC 0
Odds ratio
5.7
95% CI 2.3–16.7
Never smoking vs Smoking throughout mid- to late-life
OR 5.7 (95% CI 2.3–16.7)
As reported in the abstract
- Participants with CAC 0
- 204 (10.0%)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predicted CAC 0 probability within sex-race groups
- Black woman, low vs high risk factor profile
- 53% vs 0.4%
Original publication
Mid- to Late-Life Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factor Exposure and Zero Coronary Artery Calcium: The ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 4 June 2025. doi:10.
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it