Is mitral annular calcification associated with an increased risk of stroke in an elderly population-based cohort?
Mitral annular calcification is an independent predictor of stroke in the elderly, though its causal role remains uncertain.
In an elderly, longitudinally followed population-based cohort, mitral annular calcification was associated with a doubled risk of stroke, independently of traditional risk factors for stroke. Whether such calcification contributes causally to the risk of stroke or is merely a marker of increased risk because of its association with other precursors of stroke remains unknown.
Benjamin et al. (1992) studied this question.
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