Association Between Abdominal Visceral Artery Calcification and All-Cause Mortality—A Computerized Tomography Imaging-Based Longitudinal Follow-Up Study

Abstract

Arterial calcification in different arterial beds has been observed to be an independent predictor of mortality. The association of abdominal visceral artery calcium with all-cause mortality remains unexplored. Patients who had undergone contrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CT) imaging for routine assessment of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) were considered for this study. A novel calcium score (abdominal visceral arteries calcium [AVAC]) for the abdominal visceral arteries (celiac axis, superior mesenteric, and renal arteries) was calculated using a modified Agatston score. Cumulative AVAC was defined as sum total of the calcium score of above individual arteries. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The association of AVAC with all-cause mortality was assessed. Of the 134 consecutive patients, 89 were included for analysis. Median follow-up duration was 72 (47-91) months since CT imaging; 35 (39%) patients died during this period. Hypertension and cumulative AVAC score had a significant association with all-cause mortality ( P < .05). Cumulative visceral abdominal artery calcification is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with PAD. Future prospective studies are warranted to investigate this relationship in PAD and other patient cohorts.

Patients with type 2 diabetes present with multiple anomalies of the pancreatic arterial tree on abdominal computed tomography: comparison between patients with type 2 diabetes and a matched control group

“…However, different studies show that the presence of calcifications in the celiac trunk or in the superior mesenteric artery correlates with systemic calcified atherosclerosis, cardiovascular risk factors, all-cause mortality, and fatty liver. This could be in favor of an atherosclerotic process in these arteries [14,31,32].…”

Atherosclerosis is associated with poorer outcome in non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia

“…Atheroma of the abdominal aorta and its branches has a high prevalence (55-83 % in those over 40 years of age) [12][13][14] and has been identified as an independent predictor of vascular morbidity and mortality [15]. Aorto-iliac calcifications [12] and abdominal visceral artery calcifications [16] are also associated with all-cause mortality, especially when calcifications reach the superior mesenteric artery [14]. The quantification of atheroma is now possible thanks to the use of computed tomography (CT), and has been extensively studied in the coronary arteries [17,18].…”

High Cardiovascular Risk in Older Men With Severe Peripheral Artery Calcification on High-Resolution Peripheral QCT Scans

“…Severe CAC and aortic calcification on the thoracic CT scans performed for lung cancer screening or visceral arterial calcification on abdominal CT scans were associated with higher cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. 16,17 However, it is not clear whether detection of calcification in small peripheral arteries has similar clinical utility. Patsch et al 18 described a semi-automated algorithm to quantify lower leg arterial calcification found on scans obtained using high-resolution peripheral quantitative CT (HR-pQCT).…”