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Updated: Jun 3, 2025
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Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
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Aortic Calcification in Patients with Nephrolithiasis: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study
Amir Reza Abedi1, Saeed Montazeri2, Morteza Sanei Taheri3
1Men's Health and Reproductive Health Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran
|January 9, 2025
Summary
Kidney stones (nephrolithiasis) may be linked to aortic calcification, especially in younger men. Increased stone size correlated with more severe aortic calcification, suggesting shared disease pathways.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Nephrolithiasis is associated with systemic diseases.
- Young patients with kidney stones may face higher risks of premature atherosclerosis.
- Investigating the link between kidney stones and atherosclerosis is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between aortic calcification and kidney stone disease severity.
- To explore potential shared pathophysiological mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Matched case-control study with 144 kidney stone patients and 144 controls.
- Non-contrast abdominal and pelvic CT scans were used.
- Agatston score quantified aortic calcification; statistical tests analyzed data.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in overall aortic calcification (Agatston score) between stone formers and controls.
- A significant positive correlation found between Agatston score and kidney stone size (r=0.23, P=0.014).
- Younger male kidney stone formers (≤45 years) showed significantly higher aortic calcification (P=0.049).
Conclusions:
- Shared pathophysiological mechanisms may underlie nephrolithiasis and atherosclerosis.
- Aortic calcification is associated with kidney stone severity, particularly in younger males.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate these connections.
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