Teacher:Given a passage, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
Teacher: Now, understand the problem? Solve this instance: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a prominent feature of atherosclerosis and is associated with cardiovascular events. In vitro studies have suggested that osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteocalcin (OC) exert anticalcification potential in the vessel wall. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of CAC and serum bone biomarkers in persons with type 2 diabetes.', 'We examined 50 individuals with type 2 diabetes. CAC imaging was performed by multidetector computed tomography. CAC scores 10, expressed in Agatston units, were considered abnormal. OC, undercarboxylated OC (ucOC), and OPG levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.', 'Abnormal CAC scores were found for 64% of the study cohort. OPG levels were significantly elevated (5.5 2.0 pmol/L vs. 4.2 1.7 pmol/L; P = .026) for those with abnormal CAC scores. No univariate differences were found for OC or ucOC. Logistic regression analyses revealed that an increase in serum OPG level was significantly associated with an increase in CAC score (odds ratio, 3.324; 95% confidence interval, 1.321 to 8.359; P = .011). Longer duration of diabetes was a significant covariate (P = .026), whereas nonsignificant covariates in the final model were age, gender, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, insulin resistance determined by the homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, leptin, adiponectin, and glycemic control. The Nagelkerke R2 for the model was 0.66. Neither OC nor ucOC were significantly associated with elevated CAC scores.
Student:
Is osteoprotegerin a Better Serum Biomarker of Coronary Artery Calcification than Osteocalcin in Type 2 Diabetes?