Prevalence of Aortic Valve Calcium and the Long-Term Risk of Incident Severe Aortic Stenosis - JIMG January 2024-Article: Prevalence of Aortic Valve Calcium and the Long-Term Risk of Incident Severe Aortic Stenosis

Article: Prevalence of Aortic Valve Calcium and the Long-Term Risk of Incident Severe Aortic Stenosis

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Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is a known factor in the development of aortic stenosis (AS), a condition characterized by the narrowing of the aortic valve. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AVC and its association with the long-term risk of severe AS. The study involved 6,814 participants free of known cardiovascular disease, who underwent noncontrast cardiac computed tomography (CT) to measure AVC. The severity of AVC was quantified using the Agatston method, and normative age-, sex-, and race/ethnicity-specific AVC percentiles were derived.<br /><br />The study found that AVC was present in 913 participants (13.4%). The probability of having no AVC varied significantly by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. The risk of severe AS increased exponentially with higher AVC scores, while an AVC score of 0 was associated with an extremely low long-term risk of severe AS. The study also found that the combination of AVC and aortic ring calcification (ARC) did not improve the risk stratification for severe AS compared to AVC alone.<br /><br />The results of this study provide clinically relevant information for assessing an individual's long-term risk of severe AS based on their AVC score. The study highlights the importance of age, sex, and race/ethnicity in the interpretation of AVC scoring. Early detection of AVC could help identify individuals at high risk for severe AS and potentially improve patient outcomes. These findings may also inform the selection of participants for future clinical trials on the prevention and treatment of severe AS.

Keywords

Aortic valve calcification

Aortic stenosis

Prevalence of AVC

Long-term risk of severe AS

Cardiac computed tomography

Agatston method

Normative AVC percentiles

Risk factors for severe AS

Aortic ring calcification

Early detection of AVC