Relationship between Urinary Level of Phytate and Valvular Calcification in an Elderly Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 8; p. e0136560
• Main Authors: Fernández-Palomeque, Carlos, Grau, Andres, Perelló, Joan, Sanchis, Pilar, Isern, Bernat, Prieto, Rafel M., Costa-Bauzá, Antonia, Caldés, Onofre J., Bonnin, Oriol, Garcia-Raja, Ana, Bethencourt, Armando, Grases, Felix
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 31.08.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Annuli; Atherosclerosis; Blood; Blood levels; Calcification; Calcification (ectopic); Calcification (Physiology); Calcification, Physiologic; Calcinosis - blood; Calcinosis - urine; Calcium; Calcium (blood); Calcium phosphates; Cardiomyopathies - blood; Cardiomyopathies - epidemiology; Cardiomyopathies - urine; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Coronary vessels; Cross-Sectional Studies; Crystallization; Development and progression; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology; Durapatite - metabolism; Echocardiography; Excretion; Female; Food consumption; Geriatrics; Health risks; Health sciences; Heart; Heart Valve Diseases - blood; Heart Valve Diseases - epidemiology; Heart Valve Diseases - urine; Heart Valves - pathology; Humans; Hydroxyapatite; Hydroxyapatites; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - epidemiology; Hypertension; Kidney diseases; Laboratories; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes; Male; Mitral Valve - pathology; Multivariate analysis; Older people; Phosphates - blood; Physiological aspects; Phytic Acid - urine; Population; Population studies; R&D; Research & development; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Soft tissues; Supersaturation; Urine; White blood cells; Spain; Majorca; Balearic Islands
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136560

Pathological calcification generally consists of the formation of solid deposits of hydroxyapatite (calcium phosphate) in soft tissues. Supersaturation is the thermodynamic driving force for crystallization, so it is believed that higher blood levels of calcium and phosphate increase the risk of cardiovascular calcification. However several factors can promote or inhibit the natural process of pathological calcification. This cross-sectional study evaluated the relationship between physiological levels of urinary phytate and heart valve calcification in a population of elderly out subjects. A population of 188 elderly subjects (mean age: 68 years) was studied. Valve calcification was measured by echocardiography. Phytate determination was performed from a urine sample and data on blood chemistry, end-systolic volume, concomitant diseases, cardiovascular risk factors, medication usage and food were obtained. The study population was classified in three tertiles according to level of urinary phytate: low (<0.610 μM), intermediate (0.61-1.21 μM), and high (>1.21 μM). Subjects with higher levels of urinary phytate had less mitral annulus calcification and were less likely to have diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. In the multivariate analysis, age, serum phosphorous, leukocytes total count and urinary phytate excretion appeared as independent factors predictive of presence of mitral annulus calcification. There was an inverse correlation between urinary phytate content and mitral annulus calcification in our population of elderly out subjects. These results suggest that consumption of phytate-rich foods may help to prevent cardiovascular calcification evolution.