Aortic Valve Calcification Score in Patients with Arterial Hypertension Environmentally Exposed to Tobacco Smoke

• Published in: Cardiovascular toxicology 2021-11, Vol.21 (11), p.869-879
• Main Authors: Gać, Paweł, Martuszewski, Adrian, Paluszkiewicz, Patrycja, Poręba, Małgorzata, Mazur, Grzegorz, Poręba, Rafał
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aorta; Aortic valve; Aortic Valve - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Valve - pathology; Aortic Valve Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Valve Stenosis - epidemiology; Arterial Pressure; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Calcification; Calcification (ectopic); Calcinosis - diagnostic imaging; Calcinosis - epidemiology; Cardiology; Care and treatment; Computed tomography; Exposure; Female; Heart valve diseases; Heart valves; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - epidemiology; Hypertension - physiopathology; Inhalation Exposure - adverse effects; Male; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Multidetector Computed Tomography; Passive smoking; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Smokers; Smoking; Subgroups; Tobacco; Tobacco smoke; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1530-7905; 1559-0259
• DOI: 10.1007/s12012-021-09677-8

The objective of our study was to determine the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the value of the aortic valve calcification score (AVCS) in people suffering from arterial hypertension (AH). 107 non-smokers with AH (mean age 67.16 ± 8.48 years) were qualified for the study. The degree of exposure to ETS was assessed using the Second-hand Smoke Exposure Scale (SHSES) questionnaire. Study group was divided depending on ETS exposure: A—no exposure, B—low, C—medium and D—high. AVCS was measured based on the aortic valve plane multiplanar reconstruction from the non-contrast phase of the cardiac computed tomography. The Agatston algorithm was used, in which calcifications were considered changes with a density exceeding 130 HU. The mean AVCS value in the study group of patients was 213.59 ± 304.86. The AVCS was significantly lower in subgroup A than in subgroups C and D. In subgroup A, the lack of aortic valve calcification (AVCS = 0) was observed significantly more frequently than in subgroups C and D. There was a positive correlation between the number of SHSES points and the AVCS value ( r  = 0.37, p