ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2013 April;172(4):247-52

Copyright © 2013 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Medial calcinosis. A marker of increased cardiovascular risk

Gaspar L. ¹, Makovnik M. ¹, Bendzala M. ¹, Hlinstakova S. ¹, Gavornik P. ¹, Dukat A. ¹, Stvrtinova V. ¹, Stvrtina S. ², Danihel L. ², Babal P. ²

¹ Second Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic; ² Institute of Pathological Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Comenius, University Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Aim: Medial calcinosis (or Mönckeberg’s medial arteriosclerosis) is a disease of the muscular type arteries characterized by progressive calcification in the media. The disease most commonly occurs in diabetes mellitus, chronic renal insufficiency and is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Methods: Decreased ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) is a well-known marker of increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, also the values of ABI above 1.3 in the presence of medial calcinosis are associated with increased mortality of cardiovascular causes.
Results: We found, by longitudinal Holter ECG monitoring in a 22-member group of patients with identified medial calcinosis, frequent incidence of cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial ischemia (91%). Only 2 persons (9%) had normal Holter ECG recordings.
Conclusion: Our results confirm the importance of ABI estimation in clinical practice, and that Holter ECG monitoring provides us with important information to improve clinical management of these patients.