Association between heart calcification assessed by echocardiography and future cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity

Abstract Background: Echocardiography can detect calcium deposits in heart valves and aortic root, but the relationship of echocardiographic heart calcification such as aortic valve calcification (AVC), mitral annular calcification (MAC), and aortic root calcification (ARC) with future cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality and morbidity is not fully elucidated. Methods: We analyzed data from 943 patients with suspected coronary heart disease (mean age, 65.7 years; 36% female). Echocardiographic total heart calcification (THC) score was determined by summing up the AVC, MAC, and