Aortic Valve Calcification and Risk of Stroke: The Rotterdam Study.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
It remains uncertain whether aortic valve calcification (AVC) is a risk factor for stroke.


METHODS
From the population-based Rotterdam Study, 2471 participants (mean age: 69.6 years; 51.8% women) underwent computed tomography to quantify AVC. We assessed prevalent stroke and continuously monitored the remaining participants for the incidence of stroke. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to investigate associations of AVC with prevalent stroke and risk of incident stroke.


RESULTS
AVC was present in 33.1% of people. At baseline, 97 participants had ever suffered a stroke. During 18 665 person-years of follow-up (mean: 7.9 years), 135 people experienced a first-ever stroke. The presence of AVC was not associated with prevalent stroke (fully adjusted odds ratio: 0.97 (95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.53]) or with an increased risk of stroke (fully adjusted hazard ratio: 0.99 (95% confidence interval, 0.69-1.44]).


CONCLUSIONS
Although AVC is a common finding in middle-aged and elderly community-dwelling people, our results suggest that AVC is not associated with an increased risk of stroke.
['Bos|Daniel|D|', 'Bozorgpourniazi|Atefeh|A|', 'Mutlu|Unal|U|', 'Kavousi|Maryam|M|', 'Vernooij|Meike W|MW|', 'Moelker|Adriaan|A|', 'Franco|Oscar H|OH|', 'Koudstaal|Peter J|PJ|', 'Ikram|M Arfan|MA|', 'van der Lugt|Aad|A|']
D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D001021:Aortic Valve D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis D002114:Calcinosis D005260:Female D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009426:Netherlands D012306:Risk D020521:Stroke
aortic valve calcification stroke computed tomography follow-up studies