title: Patients with echocardiographic aortic valve calcium or mitral annular calcium have an increased prevalence of moderate or severe coronary artery calcium diagnosed by cardiac computed tomography.
abstract: The association between aortic valve calcium (AVC) and mitral annular calcium (MAC), as diagnosed by two-dimensional echocardiography, was investigated in 138 patients (76 women and 62 men, mean age 64±8 years) seen in a private cardiology practice at the New York Medical College. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores were diagnosed by 64-multislice computed tomography. AVC was present in 25 of 57 patients (44%) with moderate or severe CAC (a CAC score of more than 100) and in 15 of 81 patients (19%) with no or mild CAC (a CAC score of 0 to 100), P<0.001. Moderate or severe AVC was present in nine of 57 patients (16%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in two of 81 patients (2%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.005. MAC was present in 18 of 57 patients (32%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in seven of 81 patients (9%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.001. Moderate or severe MAC was present in eight of 57 patients (14%) with moderate or severe CAC, and in two of 81 patients (2%) with no or mild CAC, P<0.001.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Wilbert S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Aronow
authors.forename: Hoang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Hajir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dilmanian
authors.forename: Albert J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Deluca
authors.forename: Melvin B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Belkin