Aortic valve calcium independently predicts coronary and cardiovascular events in a primary prevention population.

Objectives: This study sought to test whether aortic valve calcium (AVC) is independently associated with coronary and cardiovascular events in a primary-prevention population.

Background: Aortic sclerosis is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among the elderly, but the mechanisms underlying this association remain controversial. Also, it is unknown whether this association extends to younger individuals.

Relation of mitral annular calcium and coronary calcium (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]).

Atherosclerosis is a complex diffuse disorder. The close correlation between coronary artery calcium (CAC) score on computed tomogram and extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis is well established. It has been suggested that mitral annular calcification (MAC) may be a manifestation of generalized atherosclerosis.

Thoracic aortic calcification and coronary heart disease events: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: The presence and extent of coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an independent predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) morbidity and mortality. Few studies have evaluated interactions or independent incremental risk for coronary and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC). The independent predictive value of TAC for CHD events is not well-established.

Stages of systemic hypertension and blood pressure as correlates of computed tomography-assessed aortic valve calcium (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

Hypertension has been identified as a risk factor for aortic valve calcium (AVC) but the magnitude of the risk relation with hypertension severity or whether age affects the strength of this risk association has not been studied. The relation of hypertension severity, as defined by Joint National Committee 7 (JNC-7) hypertension stages or blood pressure (BP), to computed tomographically assessed AVC prevalence and severity was examined in 4,274 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) without treated hypertension. Analyses were stratified by age < 65 or ≥ 65 years, were adjusted for common cardiovascular risk factors, and excluded those on antihypertensive medications.

Relationships of mitral annular calcification to cardiovascular risk factors: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a fibrous, degenerative calcification of the mitral valve. The relationship between MAC and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is not well defined. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study to determine which CVD risk factors are independently associated with MAC in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Prevalence and prognostic significance of renal artery calcification in patients with diabetes and proteinuria.

Background And Objectives: Vascular calcification is common and severe in chronic kidney disease. Because the consequences of calcification may differ by vascular beds, we sought to test the hypothesis that patients who have diabetes with proteinuria and have significant renal artery calcification (RAC) have a higher risk for progression to ESRD.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Using electron-beam computed tomography, RAC was computed as the sum of Agatston scores at each of the two renal ostia and renal arteries.

Thoracic aortic distensibility and thoracic aortic calcium (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]).

Decreased arterial distensibility is an early manifestation of adverse structural and functional changes within the vessel wall. Its correlation with thoracic aortic calcium (TAC), a marker of atherosclerosis, has not been well demonstrated. We tested the hypothesis that decreasing aortic compliance and increasing arterial stiffness would be independently associated with increased TAC.

Coronary artery calcification and mortality in diabetic patients with proteinuria.

Vascular calcification is one of the mechanisms mediating the higher mortality risk associated with the hyperphosphatemia of chronic kidney disease. Though common, and often severe in non-dialyzed proteinuric diabetics, there are no studies on the prognostic significance of coronary artery calcification in early stage type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Here we determine this significance in 225 proteinuric diabetic patients (mean age 57 years, mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 52 ml/min per 1.

Incidence and progression of aortic valve calcium in the Multi-ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Aortic valve calcium (AVC) is common among older adults and shares epidemiologic and histopathologic similarities to atherosclerosis. However, prospective studies have failed to identify meaningful risk associations with incident ("new") AVC or its progression. In the present study, AVC was quantified from serial computed tomographic images from 5,880 participants (aged 45 to 84 years) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, using the Agatston method.

Relationship of aortic valve calcification with coronary artery calcium severity: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Aortic valve calcification (AVC) and atherosclerosis share causative and pathologic features.

Objective: We evaluated the relationship between AVC and coronary artery calcium (CAC) severity in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Methods: Men and women aged 45-84 years (n=6809; mean age, 62 years) were studied.

Relationship of carotid distensibility and thoracic aorta calcification: multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Stiffening of the central elastic arteries is one of the earliest detectable manifestations of adverse change within the vessel wall. Although an association between carotid artery stiffness and adverse events has been demonstrated, little is known about the relationship between stiffness and atherosclerosis. Even less is known about the impact of age, sex, and race on this association.

Relationship between common carotid intima-media thickness and thoracic aortic calcification: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Mean maximum carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is associated with both coronary artery disease and cerebral thromboembolism. Thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) detected by computed tomography (CT) is also highly associated with vascular disease and cardiovascular risk. No previous study has examined the relationship between CIMT and TAC in a large patient cohort.

Ethnic-specific risks for atherosclerotic calcification of the thoracic and abdominal aorta (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis).

The aims of this study were to (1) determine the association between ethnicity and thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) and abdominal aortic calcium (AAC) and (2) investigate associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and TAC and AAC. Participants were 1,957 men and women enrolled in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who had computed tomographic scans of the chest and abdomen. These scans were obtained at the same clinic visit and calcium scores were computed using the Agatston method.

Aged garlic extract supplemented with B vitamins, folic acid and L-arginine retards the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis: a randomized clinical trial.

Objectives: Previous studies demonstrated that aged garlic extract reduces multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This study was designed to assess whether aged garlic extract therapy with supplements (AGE+S) favorably affects inflammatory and oxidation biomarkers, vascular function and progression of atherosclerosis as compared to placebo.

Methods: In this placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial (conducted 2005-2007), 65 intermediate risk patients (age 60+/-9 years, 79% male) were treated with a placebo capsule or a capsule containing aged garlic extract (250 mg) plus Vitamin B12 (100 microg), folic acid (300 microg), Vitamin B6 (12.

Relationship of thoracic aortic calcium to coronary calcium and its progression (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]).

Thoracic aortic calcium (TAC) has been associated with a higher prevalence of coronary arterial calcium (CAC). The purpose of this study was to assess the relations between TAC and incident CAC and CAC progression in a cohort from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). MESA is a prospective cohort study of 6,814 participants free of clinical cardiovascular disease at entry who underwent noncontrast cardiac computed tomographic scanning at baseline examination and at a 2-year follow-up assessment.

Comparison of coronary artery calcium scores between electron beam computed tomography and 64-multidetector computed tomographic scanner.

Objective: Because almost all data currently available with coronary calcium scanning are from electron beam tomography (EBT), we assessed whether scores obtained with 64-multidetector computed tomography (CT; MDCT) are similar. We evaluated the interscan variation in coronary artery calcium (CAC), Agatston score (AS), and volume score (VS) between EBT and 64-MDCT (VCT; GE, Milwaukee, Wis).

Materials And Methods: One hundred two patients (mean age, 61.

Relationship of metabolic syndrome with incident aortic valve calcium and aortic valve calcium progression: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with increased prevalence of aortic valve calcium (AVC) and with increased progression of aortic stenosis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether MetS is associated with increased risks for the development of new ("incident") AVC or for progression of established AVC as assessed by CT.

Research Design And Methods: The relationships of MetS or its components as well as of diabetes to risks for incident AVC or AVC progression were studied among participants with CT scans performed at baseline and at either year 2 or year 3 examinations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Comparison of left ventricular size by computed tomography with magnetic resonance imaging measures of left ventricle mass and volumes: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Background: A non-contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography (NCE-CCT) scan for assessing coronary artery calcification (CAC) is being increasingly used for assessing underlying burden of atherosclerosis. Although many studies document the potential value of measuring CAC, little is known about the other measures such as left ventricular (LV) geometry that can be obtained from the same scan data.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the accuracy of noncontrast CT-derived LV size (LVS; sum of LV volume and mass) compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived measures as the clinical reference standard.

Relationship between coronary artery and descending thoracic aortic calcification as detected by computed tomography: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a well-established tool for the detection of cardiovascular calcium. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is highly sensitive for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD) as well as predictive of future cardiovascular (CV) events. Descending thoracic aortic calcification (DTAC) is common in the elderly and its presence is also associated with increased risk of CV events.

Soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and aortic valve calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background And Aim Of The Study: Previous studies have reported associations between individual inflammatory biomarkers and aortic valve disease, but none has examined associations with, baseline prevalence or severity of aortic valve calcium (AVC), as measured with cardiac computed tomography (CT). The study aim was to determine whether specific inflammatory markers were associated with AVC in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort.

Methods: The associations of inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), fibrinogen, D-dimer, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1 (sTNF-R1), soluble tissue factor (sTF), soluble E-selectin and matrix metalloproteinases-3 and -9 (MMP-3 and -9) with baseline AVC prevalence and severity were examined.

Interaction of age with lipoproteins as predictors of aortic valve calcification in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

Background: Previous epidemiologic studies have shown that low-density lipoprotein is an independent risk factor for prevalent aortic valve calcification (AVC); however, to our knowledge, the interactions between plasma lipoprotein concentrations and age on the relative risks (RRs) for AVC prevalence and severity have not been examined in a large, racially and ethnically diverse cohort.

Methods: Using stepwise RR regression, the relationships of baseline fasting lipid levels and lipoprotein levels to baseline prevalence and severity of AVC were determined in 5801 non-statin-using participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Results: In age-stratified, adjusted analyses, the low-density lipoprotein-associated RRs (95% confidence intervals) for prevalent AVC were higher for younger compared with older participants (age 45-54 years, 1.

Hypovitaminosis D in chronic kidney disease.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies show high prevalence of suboptimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in chronic kidney disease patients. This study sought to test the hypothesis that the prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is significantly higher in chronic kidney disease patients and, in diabetic nephropathy, low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is associated with abnormal serum parathyroid hormone, bone mineral density, and coronary artery calcification.

Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Study A used data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Relationships of thoracic aortic wall calcification to cardiovascular risk factors: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: The aim of this article is to determine the relationships between aortic wall calcification (AWC) including ascending and descending thoracic aortic calcification and sex, race/ethnicity, age, and traditional risk factors. Allison et al (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24:331-336) previously described the relationship of noted risk factors and AWC as detected by computed tomography (CT) in smaller cohorts.

Inflammation and descending thoracic aortic calcification as detected by computed tomography: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

Background: Inflammation is related to many stages of atherosclerosis, and inflammatory markers have been associated with both atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events. Descending thoracic aortic calcification (DTAC) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis, however, no previous study has examined the relationship of inflammatory markers and DTAC as detected by computed tomography (CT) in a large study. We examined whether C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are independently associated with DTAC.

Ethnic differences between extra-coronary measures on cardiac computed tomography: multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA).

Background: Emerging evidence indicates that calcifications in valvular and thoracic aorta are manifestations of generalized atherosclerosis. Assessing the presence and extent of extra-coronary atherosclerosis may further improve prognostic information in subjects who are at risk for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study is to determine the relative prevalence and quantity of extra-coronary calcifications across ethnic groups in a multi-ethnic population based cohort of asymptomatic individuals.