Cardiac valve calcifications and predictive parameters in hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Abstract Cardiac valvular calcification is frequent among hemodialysis (HD) patients. The presence of valvular calcification can help identify HD patients with a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to determine the prevalence of valvular calcification (VC) in our maintenance hemodialysis (HD) population and to examine some possible etiologic factors for its occurrence. We studied forty-four patients on hemodialysis (23 women and 21 men; mean age 57 ± 18 year; mean HD duration 34 ± 28 months). Valvular calcification (VC) was observed in 21 patients (48%). Of these patients, 6 patients (13%) had mitral valvular calcification, 9 patients (20%) had aortic valvular calcification, and 6 patients (13%) had calcification of both valves. The patients with VC were older than patients without VC (66±14 vs. 50±18). The patients with aortic calcification had longer HD duration than others (48±29 vs. 27±24 months). Patients with VC had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures than patients without VC. The patients with mitral calcification had higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (14 ± 13 vs. 7 ± 7). No significant differences were found with respect to calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, alkaline phosphatase and mean Ca × P product. Our study confirmed that there is an increased prevalence of VC in HD patients. Age is a risk factor for cardiac VC in HD patients. Longer HD duration was associated with aortic valve calcification. In addition, elevated level of CRP is associated with mitral valve calcification in HD patients.