Association of aortic valve calcium detected by electron beam computed tomography with echocardiographic aortic valve disease and with calcium deposits in the coronary arteries and thoracic aorta.

We conducted electron beam computed tomographic (EBCT) testing in a representative sample of 327 Framingham Heart Study subjects without clinical cardiovascular disease. EBCT was compared with 2-dimensional echocardiography for the detection of degenerative aortic valve (AV) disease. We determined the association between EBCT measures of AV calcium and calcium deposits in the coronary arteries and thoracic aorta.

Long-term trends in the incidence of and survival with heart failure.

Background: Heart failure is a major public health problem. Long-term trends in the incidence of heart failure and survival after its onset in the community have not been characterized.

Methods: We used statistical models to assess temporal trends in the incidence of heart failure and Cox proportional-hazards regression to evaluate survival after the onset of heart failure among subjects in the Framingham Heart Study.

C-reactive protein is associated with subclinical epicardial coronary calcification in men and women: the Framingham Heart Study.

Background: High C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, even in apparently healthy individuals. It has not been established whether elevated CRP reflects an increased burden of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: We studied a stratified random sample of 321 men and women (mean age 60 years) from the Framingham Heart Study who were free of clinically apparent cardiovascular disease.

Age and sex distribution of subclinical aortic atherosclerosis: a magnetic resonance imaging examination of the Framingham Heart Study.

Autopsy data demonstrate a correlation between subclinical aortic atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, noninvasive cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) of subclinical atherosclerosis may provide a novel measure of cardiovascular risk, but it has not been applied to an asymptomatic population-based cohort to establish age- and sex-specific normative data. Participants in the Framingham Heart Study offspring cohort who were free of clinically apparent coronary disease were randomly sampled from strata of sex, quartiles of age, and quintiles of Framingham Coronary Risk Score.

Gender differences and normal left ventricular anatomy in an adult population free of hypertension. A cardiovascular magnetic resonance study of the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort.

Objectives: We sought to derive gender-specific cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) reference values for normative left ventricular (LV) anatomy and function in a healthy adult population of clinically relevant age.

Background: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly applied in the clinical setting, but age-relevant, gender-specific normative values are currently unavailable.

Methods: A representative sample of 318 Framingham Heart Study (FHS) Offspring participants free of clinically overt cardiovascular disease underwent CMR examination to determine LV end-diastolic and end-systolic volume (EDV and ESV, respectively), mass, ejection fraction (EF) and linear dimensions (wall thickness, cavity length).