Cardiac CT scans can detect significant bone mineral density variation among different races and ethnicities, according to research presented at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2021 annual meeting.
Researchers led by Dr. Khadije Ahmad from the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in California found in a study of 6,814 people that Black male and female subjects had significantly higher bone mineral density at all ages relative to other races. They also found that the density levels in white subjects were significantly lower in both sexes and age groups compared with Black and Hispanic individuals.
Density levels were found to be consistently highest in the Black subjects, followed by Hispanic, Chinese Americans, and then white subjects.
The researchers said these results are in line with existing literature that used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scans to investigate the same concept.
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
