Association of mitral annulus calcification, aortic valve sclerosis and aortic root calcification with abnormal myocardial perfusion single photon emission tomography in subjects age ≤65 years old

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 38; no. 7; pp. 1988 - 1993
• Main Authors: Jeon, Doo-Soo, Atar, Shaul, Brasch, Andrea V, Luo, Huai, Mirocha, James, Naqvi, Tasneem Z, Kraus, Robert, Berman, Daniel S, Siegel, Robert J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.12.2001; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aged; Aortic Valve - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Valve Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Biological and medical sciences; Calcinosis - diagnostic imaging; Cardiovascular system; Coronary Artery Disease - diagnostic imaging; Echocardiography; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mitral Valve - diagnostic imaging; Mitral Valve Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Odds Ratio; Predictive Value of Tests; Radionuclide investigations; Risk Assessment; Sclerosis - diagnostic imaging; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; ARC; SSS; OR; TTE; CI; CAD; AVS; MAC; SPECT; Radionuclide study; Sonography; Human; Regional blood flow; Mitral valve; Echocardiography; Pathophysiology; Root; Cardiovascular disease; Exploration; Narrowing; Coronary heart disease; Photon; Concomitant disease; Cardiac valvular disease; Calcification; Myocardium; Aorta; Hemodynamics; Aortic valve; Emission tomography
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/S0735-1097(01)01678-3

OBJECTIVES We examined the hypothesis that mitral annulus calcification (MAC), aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) and aortic root calcification (ARC) are associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) in subjects age ≤65 years. BACKGROUND Mitral annulus calcification, AVS and ARC frequently coexist and are associated with coronary risk factors and CAD in the elderly. METHODS We studied 338 subjects age ≤65 years who underwent evaluation of chest pain with myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and a two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiogram for other indications. The association of MAC, AVS and ARC with abnormal SPECT was evaluated by using chi-square analyses and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Compared with no or one calcium deposit and no or one coronary risk factor other than diabetes, multiple (≥2) calcium (or sclerosis) deposits with diabetes or multiple (≥2) coronary risk factors were significantly associated with abnormal SPECT in women age ≤55 years old (odds ratio [OR], 20.00), in women age >55 years old (OR, 10.00) and in men age ≤55 years old (OR, 5.55). Multivariate analyses identified multiple calcium deposits as a significant predictor for an abnormal SPECT in women (p < 0.001), younger subjects age ≤55 years (p < 0.05) and the total group of subjects (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS When coronary risk factors are also taken into consideration, the presence of multiple calcium deposits in the mitral annulus, aortic valve or aortic root appears to be a marker of CAD in men ≤55 years old and women.