title: Aortic Valve Calcification and Risk of Stroke: The Rotterdam Study.
abstract: It remains uncertain whether aortic valve calcification (AVC) is a risk factor for stroke.
  
  
  
  From the population-based Rotterdam Study, 2471 participants (mean age: 69.6 years; 51.8% women) underwent computed tomography to quantify AVC. We assessed prevalent stroke and continuously monitored the remaining participants for the incidence of stroke. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to investigate associations of AVC with prevalent stroke and risk of incident stroke.
  
  
  
  AVC was present in 33.1% of people. At baseline, 97 participants had ever suffered a stroke. During 18 665 person-years of follow-up (mean: 7.9 years), 135 people experienced a first-ever stroke. The presence of AVC was not associated with prevalent stroke (fully adjusted odds ratio: 0.97 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.53]) or with an increased risk of stroke (fully adjusted hazard ratio: 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.69-1.44]).
  
  
  
  Although AVC is a common finding in middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling people, our results suggest that AVC is not associated with an increased risk of stroke.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.). d.bos@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Atefeh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozorgpourniazi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Unal
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mutlu
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavousi
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Meike W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vernooij
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Adriaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moelker
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Koudstaal
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: M Arfan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ikram
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (D.B., A.B., M.W.V., A.M., M.A.I., A.v.d.L.), Department of Epidemiology (D.B., U.M., M.K., M.W.V., O.H.F., M.A.I.), and Department of Neurology (P.J.K., M.A.I.), Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; and Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA (D.B.).
authors.forename: Aad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Lugt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: aortic valve; calcification; computed tomography; follow-up studies; stroke