Abdominal aortic calcification: from ancient friend to modern foe

Abstract

Background Abdominal aortic calcifications were already ubiquitous in ancient populations from all continents. Although nowadays generally considered as an innocent end stage of stabilised atherosclerotic plaques, increasing evidence suggests that arterial calcifications contribute to cardiovascular risk. In this review we address abdominal aortic calcification from an evolutionary perspective and review the literature on histology, prevalence, risk factors, clinical outcomes and pharmacological interventions of abdominal aortic calcification. Design The design of this study was based on a literature review. Methods Pubmed and Embase were systematically searched for articles on abdominal aortic calcification and its synonyms without language restrictions. Articles with data on histology, prevalence, risk factors clinical outcomes and/or pharmacological interventions were selected. Results Abdominal aortic calcification is highly prevalent in the general population and prevalence and extent increase with age. Prevalence and risk factors differ between males and females and different ethnicities. Risk factors include traditional cardiovascular risk factors and decreased bone mineral density. Abdominal aortic calcification is shown to contribute to arterial stiffness and is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. Several therapies to inhibit arterial calcification have been developed and investigated in small clinical trials. Conclusions Abdominal aortic calcification is from all eras and increasingly acknowledged as an independent contributor to cardiovascular disease. Large studies with long follow-up must be carried out to show whether inhibition of abdominal aortic calcification will further reduce cardiovascular risk.

Association of serum creatinine with aortic arch calcification in middle-aged and elderly adults: an observational cross-sectional study from China

“…To better explore the relationship of serum creatinine and VC, we therefore conducted a cross-sectional analysis in a larger general population to investigate the association between serum creatinine and aorta calcification presence. Due to aortic arch calcification (AAC) is one of the easily identifiable type of aorta calcification, and is highly prevalent detected by chest X-ray in the general population [ 15 ], we employed AAC to evaluate the VC presence in this study. Our present data provide evidences that serum creatinine is highly associated with VC occurrence rate in female aged > 45 years old.…”

Mammograms to catch many birds with one stone

“…It has been hypothesized that strong bone formation and ectopic mineralization was once beneficial, but became detrimental in an ageing population. 8 It has indeed been shown that the ability to form excessive bone outside the skeleton in common disorders such as osteoarthritis and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis is associated with vascular calcifications and cardiovascular events. 9 Currently, it is speculative whether the ability to form bone needs to be inhibited in ‘bone formers’ to prevent cardiovascular disease and organ failure.…”

Aortic calcification; from innocent bystander to independent predictor; the delicate balance in biology; da aaaCapo: Editorial accompanying ‘Abdominal aortic calcification – from ancient friend to modern foe’

“…However, they also found that mummies with widespread calcification in peripheral vascular beds lived longer than those with less calcification; which might thus be a contradiction to the concept of AAC as an independent risk factor. 11 To assess the epidemiology of AACs and its relation to outcomes, the authors performed both a systematic and a manual search in recognised databases.…”