Key result
In an autopsy series of 219 elderly patients, mitral ring calcification was significantly associated with higher age, female sex, and increased heart weight, suggesting mechanical factors are involved.
Why the study?
What are the pathogenic factors and clinical correlations associated with mitral ring and aortic valve calcification in elderly patients?
Observational (n=219)
What are the pathogenic factors and clinical correlations associated with mitral ring and aortic valve calcification in elderly patients?
Mitral ring calcification in the elderly appears to be driven by mechanical factors, such as increased heart weight, rather than changes in mineral metabolism.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May implicate mechanical factors in mitral ring calcification; leaves open causal confirmation in prospective cohorts.
Calcification of the mitral ring and of the aortic valve cusps was studied in an unselected autopsy series of 219 patients over 60, dying in a department of geriatric medicine. Possible correlations with age, sex, heart size, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, bone density and serum calcium, phosphate and alkaline phosphatase were examined. There were no significant findings for aortic valve calcification though there was a weak association with advanced age. Mitral ring calcification was significantly associated with higher age, female sex and with increased heart weight after correction for body size. These findings suggest that mechanical factors, rather than changes in mineral metabolism, are implicated in the development of mitral ring calcification.
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Pomerance et al. (1978) conducted an observational in Valvular calcification (n=219). In an autopsy series of 219 elderly patients, mitral ring calcification was significantly associated with higher age, female sex, and increased heart weight, suggesting mechanical factors are involved.
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