title: Progression of coronary artery calcification is associated with long-term cardiovascular events in hypertensive adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular (CV) events in hypertensive adults. However, the additive value of serial CAC measurements for risk stratification is unclear. The aim of the present study was to find whether CAC progression predicts long-term CV events in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group included 210 patients (mean age 64 ± 5.6 years, 54% men), a subgroup of 544 participants in the calcification side arm of the INSIGHT (International Nifedipine Study Intervention as Goal for Hypertension Therapy). All were free of symptoms or known CV disease, had at least two CT scans 1 year apart, and had available long-term follow-up. Progression of CAC was defined as the absolute change in CAC score between maximal score during follow-up and baseline score. The endpoint was the first CV event after the last CT scan. Three categories of CAC progression were defined. Zero progression was defined as 'nonprogressors', and progression below and above the median of maximal progression were defined as 'slow progressors' and 'rapid progressors', respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 15 years of follow-up (mean 11.4 ± 4.4), 83 patients experienced a first CV event. The rate of events was higher in rapid (29/59, 49%), and slow (36/78 46%) than in nonprogressors (18/73 25%); (P=0.005). Compared with nonprogressors, the adjusted hazard ratio for CV events was 1.91 [95% confidence interval (95% CI); 1.05-3.47] in the slow, and 2.13 (95% CI; 1.12-4.03) in the rapid progressors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In hypertensive patients, progression of CAC is associated with long-term CV events.
authors.affiliation: aGrace Ballas Research Unit of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute bDepartment of Internal Medicine D and Hypertension Unit cDepartment of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine dDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging eThe Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer fSackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shemesh
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motro
authors.forename: Chagai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: Nira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morag-Koren
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apter
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009543:Nifedipine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D009543:Nifedipine