Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
Progression of arterial calcifications: what, where, and in whom?
Janine E van der Toorn1,2, Meike W Vernooij1,2, M Arfan Ikram1
1Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Objectives:
There is a lack of information on the development of arteriosclerosis over time. This study aims to assess long-term sex-specific changes in arterial calcifications in five arteries, and the influence of cardiovascular risk factors hereon.
Methods:
From a population-based cohort, 807 participants (mean baseline age, 65.8; SD, 4.2) underwent a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) examination between 2003 and 2006, and after a median follow-up of 14 years. We assessed incidences and changes in volumes of coronary artery calcification (CAC), aortic arch calcification (AAC), extracranial (ECAC) and intracranial carotid artery calcification (ICAC), and vertebrobasilar artery calcification (VBAC). We investigated the simultaneous presence of severe progression (upper quartile of percentual change volumes). Associations of cardiovascular risk factors with changes in calcification volumes were assessed using multivariate linear regression models.
Results:
The difference in AAC was most substantial; the median volume (mm3) increased from of 129 to 916 in men and from 93 to 839 in women. For VBAC, no change in volumes was observed though more than a quarter of participants without baseline VBAC developed VBAC during follow-up. Severe progression was most often observed in only one artery at the same time. Hypertension was most consistently associated with increase in calcifications. Associations of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking with changes in calcifications varied across arteries and sex.
Conclusions:
We found a considerable incidence and increase in volumes of calcifications in different arteries, over a 14-year time interval. Cardiovascular risk factors were associated with increase of calcifications with sex-specific differential effects across arteries.
Clinical Relevance Statement:
There is a considerable incidence and increase in volumes of calcifications in different arteries, over a 14-year time interval. Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with increase of calcifications with sex-specific differential effects across arteries; thus, assessing changes in only one artery may thus not provide a good reflection of the systemic development of arteriosclerosis.
Key Points:
• Assessing change in arterial calcification in only one artery does not reflect the systemic development of arterial calcification. • Cardiovascular risk factors are associated with progression of arterial calcifications. • Progression of arterial calcification is sex and artery-specific.
More Related Videos
08:02Author Spotlight: Enhanced Quantification of Cardiovascular Calcification Progression for Longitudinal Micro PET/CT Studies in Small Research Animals
Published on: November 15, 2024
04:40Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
02:07Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...