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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
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Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
Associations between aortic calcification and components of body composition in elderly men
Peter Alexandersen1, László B Tankó, Yu Z Bagger
1Center for Clinical and Basic Research A/S, Ballerup Byvej 222, DK-2750 Ballerup, Denmark. pa@ccbr.dk
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|October 13, 2006
Summary
Aortic calcification in men is linked to less muscle mass and more abdominal fat. These body composition changes may play a role in atherosclerosis development.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Atherosclerosis is a major cause of cardiovascular disease.
- Body composition, including lean mass and fat distribution, may influence cardiovascular health.
- Understanding these links is crucial for identifying new risk factors and preventive strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations among body composition, cardiovascular risk factors, and atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men.
- To identify potential pathogenic links between body composition and atherosclerosis.
Main Methods:
- 168 white men aged 44-86 years were studied.
- Aortic calcification (AC) severity was graded from radiographs.
- Body fat and lean mass were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
Main Results:
- A strong inverse association was found between AC and peripheral lean mass (PLM), independent of age and BMI.
- AC was directly correlated with truncal fat mass, independent of PLM.
- AC was inversely associated with the free androgen index.
Conclusions:
- Aortic calcification severity is dependent on age and modulated by cardiovascular risk factors.
- Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and increased truncal fat are borderline significant correlates of atherosclerosis in multivariate models.
- Further longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the role of sarcopenia in atherogenesis.
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