Association of fetuin-A levels with the progression of aortic valve calcification in non-dialyzed patients.

Aims: Fetuin-A has been identified as a potent circulating inhibitor of ectopic calcification. We investigated the relationship between baseline fetuin-A serum levels and the rate of progression of aortic valve calcification (AVC) in non-dialyzed patients with aortic valve disease (AVD).

Methods And Results: Seventy-seven patients (mean age 70 +/- 8 years) with echocardiographically proven AVD were collected.