Association between cardiac valvular calcification and coronary artery disease in a low-risk population.
BACKGROUND
Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) or aortic valve sclerocalcification (AVSC) is common with aging and associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in Caucasians. This study was performed to determine whether MAC or AVSC is also associated with, and has a power to predict, CAD in Koreans as in Caucasians.


METHODS
Three hundred and eight patients with chest pain, who had undergone coronary angiography and transthoracic echocardiography, were enrolled (189 males; mean 60.5 +/- 9.8 years).


RESULTS
The prevalence of MAC and AVSC was significantly more common in CAD (+) compared with CAD (-) group (83.9%:55.2%, 87.9%:57.5%, respectively, both p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis with MAC and AVSC along with conventional coronary risk factors (cRF), MAC, male gender, AVSC, and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with CAD (p < 0.001, < 0.001, 0.010 and 0.014 respectively). Additionally, a positive linear relationship was found between the prevalence of both MAC and AVSC and the extent of CAD defined by the number of stenotic coronary arteries (both p < 0.001). Furthermore, the odds ratio for CAD in the group with both multiple valvular sclerocalcification (MVSC) and > or = 2 cRF was 12.3 compared to the < or = 1 cRF group without MVSC.


CONCLUSIONS
MAC and AVSC were independently associated with CAD in a low-risk Korean population. Also, combination of MVSC with > or = 2 cRF increased the predictability of the presence of CAD. Therefore, the possibilities of CAD must be considered when MVSC is detected in transthoracic echocardiography in patients with > or = 2 cRF.
Kim
Hyung-Kwan
HK
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Seung-Jung
SJ
Suh
Jung-Won
JW
Kim
Yong-Jin
YJ
Kim
Hyo-Soo
HS
Sohn
Dae-Won
DW
Oh
Byung-Hee
BH
Lee
Myoung-Mook
MM
Park
Young-Bae
YB
Choi
Yun-Shik
YS
D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000097:blood; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D015415:Biomarkers; D014280:Triglycerides