Amoakwa K, et al. - In a community-based cohort without cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline, researchers investigated if incidence and progression of mitral annular calcium (MAC) and aortic valve calcium (AVC) could be predicted by resting heart rate (RHR), an established CVD risk factor. Higher RHR was shown to be related to MAC incidence and AVC progression, independent of traditional CVD risk factors.

Methods

• Baseline electrocardiograms were performed on 5,498 MESA participants in order to obtain RHR measurements.
• At baseline and at a second examination during follow-up, Agatston scoring from cardiac computed tomography scans were used to quantify MAC and AVC.
• After adjusting for demographics, CVD risk factors, physical activity, and atrioventricular nodal blocker use, correlations between RHR and incident MAC/AVC and annual change in MAC/AVC scores was studied.

Results

• Data showed that at baseline, participants had mean age of 62 ± 10 years and mean RHR of 63 ± 10 bpm; 12.3% and 8.9% had prevalent AVC and MAC, respectively.
• Development of incident AVC and MAC over median of 2.3 years was seen in 4.1% and 4.5%, respectively.
• Each 10 bpm higher RHR was shown to be significantly related to incident MAC (Risk Ratio 1.17 [95% CI 1.03–1.34]), but not incident AVC.
• RHR was found to be related to AVC progression [β=1.62 (0.45–2.80) Agatston units/year for every 10 bpm increment], but not to MAC progression.