Coronary arterial age (CAA), derived from coronary artery calcium (CAC) percentiles, has been evaluated for its prognostic significance in a cohort of 1,482 hospitalized COVID-19 patients from the SCORE-COVID registry. The study aimed to determine the relationship between CAA, chronological age, and short-term mortality, with findings indicating that both CAA and chronological age exhibit similar discrimination capabilities (AUC 0.76 vs 0.74; P = .466) regarding 30-day all-cause mortality. Importantly, CAA enhanced specificity by down-classifying survivors, suggesting its utility in refining risk assessments in acute settings.

The results underscore the relevance of vascular biological aging in clinical outcomes during acute illness. While both CAA and chronological age were independently associated with mortality, the study highlighted that ΔAge—the difference between CAA and chronological age—significantly re-stratified mortality risk among patients categorized as high risk by the 4C score. This indicates that incorporating CAA into risk assessments can provide additional insights into patient prognosis, particularly in those with elevated clinical risk.

The implications of this study are substantial for ongoing research in aging biology and cardiovascular health. The use of BioAge, which refines risk stratification, supports its potential as an adjunctive biomarker in clinical practice, especially when chest CT imaging is available. This advancement may shift current paradigms in risk stratification, emphasizing the importance of vascular aging metrics in acute care settings and potentially influencing future therapeutic strategies aimed at improving healthspan and longevity outcomes in high-risk populations.

Source: academic.oup.com