Patent ID: 7801347

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of estimating cardiovascular risk information for a patient using aortic calcification information obtained with a dual x-ray energy range bone densitometer or with only a single CT/QCT localization or scout scan and generating a record of the estimated risk together with a record of bone assessment information, comprising: obtaining x-ray measurements of a patient's anatomy that includes a selected elongated portion of the patient's aorta, by using a bone densitometer or only a single CT/QCT localization or scout scan, wherein the measurements from the bone densitometer are dual energy range x-ray measurements; deriving digital image information describing an image of at least the selected portion of the patient's aorta, by computer processing that uses said x-ray measurements; producing aortic calcification information describing at least one selected calcification property of the selected portion of the aorta, by computer processing that uses the digital image information; estimating cardiovascular risk information related to an assessment of risk of a cardiovascular event by computer processing that uses the aortic calcification information; calculating first bone assessment information, by computer processing that uses the digital image information; and reporting the estimated cardiovascular risk information and the calculated bone assessment information.