Relationship between aortic valve calcification and the severity of coronary atherosclerotic disease.
OBJECTIVE
Aortic valve calcification (AVC), which has been confirmed to be associated with various risk factors of cardiac disease, is common in the elderly and associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. It has been hypothesized that AVC is associated with coronary atherosclerotic disease, and its severity.


METHODS
Between July 2007 and November 2007, a total of 235 patients with chest pain or chest distress were admitted to the authors' institution for coronary angiography. The severity of coronary atherosclerotic disease (CAD) was evaluated by the Gensini score, the number of stenosed vessels, and the prevalence of total occlusion. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography to detect AVC.


RESULTS
Patients with CAD had a higher prevalence of AVC than those without CAD (44% versus 26%, p = 0.005). Likewise, the prevalence of AVC was significantly higher in patients with a higher Gensini score than in those with a lower score. Patients with AVC had a higher prevalence of CAD, and higher Gensini scores and numbers of stenosed coronary arteries, even after stratification by age (65 years). On multivariable logistic regression analysis for CAD, the odds ratio (OR) of AVC was 2.315 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.158-4.629, p = 0.018); this value was higher than that for total cholesterol (OR = 1.637, p = 0.008), lipoprotein-a (OR = 1.003, p = 0.015) and fibrinogen (OR = 1.009, p = 0.006), and marginally less than that for male gender (OR = 2.665, p = 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with AVC had a higher prevalence and greater severity of CAD.
Qian
Juying
J
Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
Chen
Zhangwei
Z
Ge
Junbo
J
Ma
Jianying
J
Chang
Shufu
S
Fan
Bing
B
Liu
Xuebo
X
Ge
Lei
L
D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014463:Ultrasonography