Arterial Stiffening Correlates with Raised Calcium Levels

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Researchers here note a correlation between age-related arterial stiffening, likely the primary cause of hypertension, and rising levels of calcium in the blood. It is an open question as the degree to which calcification contributes to stiffening of blood vessel tissues in comparison to the contribution of cross-links to that stiffening. The processes leading to calcification are arguably not as comprehensively understood as those of cross-linking, but at least some of it is a secondary consequence of specific mechanisms - such as inflammation - in blood vessel walls that lead to atherosclerosis.

The progression of arterial stiffness is accelerated by aging, although the underlying mechanisms have not yet been clarified. This prospective observational study was conducted to clarify whether longitudinal changes in the serum calcium/phosphate levels are associated with the accelerated progression of arterial stiffness with age. In a cohort of employees at a construction company (1507 middle-aged Japanese men), the serum calcium/phosphate levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured at the start and at the end of a 3-year study period.
A general linear model multivariate analysis revealed a significant interaction of the 2 factors - age and longitudinal changes of the serum calcium levels (delCa) during the follow-up period - on the longitudinal changes of the baPWV during the study period (delPWV). The delCa was significantly correlated with the delPWV even after adjustments for covariates in subjects aged ≥48 years. The delPWV in subjects aged ≥48 years with the delCa in the upper tertile was significantly larger than that in the other groups even after adjustments for covariates. Thus the association between the arterial stiffness and serum calcium levels differed with age. Pathophysiological abnormalities related to increased serum calcium levels appeared to be associated with accelerated progression of arterial stiffness with age.

Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.10.002