ReviewCJC open2026
Exercise Volume and Coronary Artery Calcification: A Systematic Review.
Review in CJC open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Exercise in Patients with Subclinical Atherosclerosis: Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, and Practical Recommendations.Current atherosclerosis reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Exercise confers numerous health benefits, including a reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. However, conflicting evidence suggests that high-volume endurance exercise may increase coronary artery calcification, a robust predictor of CV events. This systematic review investigated the relationship between exercise volume and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores. Methods: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library (1990 to November 26, 2025) was conducted. Studies reporting exercise volume and CAC scores were included. The methodological index for nonrandomized studies (MINORS) scale was implemented to test study quality. Exercise volume (minutes per week) was stratified into 4 categories: low; moderate; moderate-high; and high. Results: A total of 33 studies met the inclusion criteria: 15 reported higher CAC scores in their highest-volume groups; 8 showed no association or inverse associations; and 10 included single-cohort data. Nine of 12 comparative studies with participants exercising > 450 min/wk showed higher CAC scores in high-volume exercisers. The majority of the 9 studies reporting clinical outcomes showed no relationship or an inverse association between exercise volume and mortality or CV events. Among 5 studies assessing plaque composition, 4 reported a more benign, calcified plaque composition among their high-volume exercisers, representing a potential mechanism for the lower risk of CV events and mortality reported in this population, compared to that of less-active individuals with similar CAC scores. Conclusions: High-volume exercisers may have higher CAC scores compared to less-active cohorts. Despite elevated CAC scores, lower mortality and CV event rates observed in these groups challenge the clinical significance of this observation. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42024607693.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.