Introduction: Aortic valve calcification (AVC) is the most common cause of aortic stenosis. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of aortic valve, coronary artery and aortic calcifications and to evaluate the correlation between calcification of the aortic valve, coronary arteries and aorta.
Material and methods: The study included 499 patients aged 60 years and over who underwent coronary computed tomography because of chest pain. Beside coronary artery calcium score (CAC), we evaluated AVC and ascending aorta calcifications (AAC).
Results: Aortic valve calcification was found in 29% of the whole study population. The prevalence of AVC, CAC and AAC was significantly lower in the group of patients ≤ 70 years than in the group of patients > 70 years of age. In the whole study population no correlation was noted between AVC and CAC or AAC. There was a significant correlation between AAC and CAC.
Conclusions: Calcifications of the aortic valve, coronary arteries and aorta were frequent, and their prevalence and degree increased with age. There was no significant correlation between the prevalence and degree of AVC and CAC in the whole study population. Such a significant correlation was noted only in subjects over 70 years old. Despite some similarities with regard to mechanism and risk factors, a degenerative defect of the aortic valve could be independent of atheromatous lesions of the coronary arteries and aorta. The process of calcification of the aortic valve does not seem to be only an effect of ageing or an equivalent of an atheromatous process, and its pathological mechanism appears to be more complex.