title: Myometrial artery calcifications and aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to determine whether myometrial artery calcifications increase with age and whether uterine sections are an appropriate model for studying vascular aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study of 172 women (aged 45 y or older) who underwent hysterectomy for benign indications at the University Hospital (Newark, NJ) between July 1, 2009 and June 1, 2012 was performed. Women with a history of malignancy, undocumented last menstrual period, or unavailable uterine tissue slides were excluded. H&E-stained uterine sections were evaluated for myometrial artery calcifications (defined as the presence of acellular densely basophilic material within the media of vessels) by a single pathologist in a blinded manner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between July 1, 2009 and June 1, 2012, hysterectomies were performed on 441 women, 172 of whom met inclusion criteria. Seventeen women (9.9%) had myometrial artery calcifications detectable on H&E-stained tissue sections. None of 84 women aged 45 to 49 years, 2 of 51 women (3.9%) aged 50 to 59 years (aged 56 and 58 y), 10 of 27 women (37%) aged 60 to 69 years, and 5 of 10 women (50%) aged 70 to 81 years had myometrial artery calcifications. The prevalence of myometrial artery calcifications significantly increased with advancing age (P = 0.022).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Myometrial artery calcifications increase with advancing age. Histological sections of uterine tissue from hysterectomy specimens seem to be a useful model for evaluating vascular aging markers.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 2Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ.
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hessler
authors.forename: Gerson
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Debra S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Sara S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: Laura T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009215:Myometrium / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology