Serum concentration of calcium, 1,25 vitamin D and parathyroid hormone arenet correlated with coronary calcifications. An electron beam computed tomography study

Background The amount of coronary artery calcification, measured using elec tron beam computed tomography, is correlated with the volume of coronary ar tery atherosclerotic plaque, the severity of stenosis by angiography, and w ith the likelihood of future cardiovascular events, The deposition of calci um in atherosclerotic plaques may also be influenced by determinants of cal cium metabolism, thus contributing to the variance of the relation between coronary artery calcification and extent of atherosclerosis. Our objective was to determine whether this variance could be explained by differences in the parameters of calcium metabolism. Design and methods We measured serum concentrations of calcium, 1,25(OH)(2) vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) in 50 subjects undergoing angiogra phy for clinical indications, and evaluated the correlations between these concentrations and calcium deposition in the coronary arteries, and the rat io of calcium deposition to extent of atherosclerosis using coronary angiog raphy, Results and conclusions Serum concentrations of calcium 1,25(OH)(2) vitamin D and PTH were not correlated with coronary calcification or the ratio of coronary calcification to the extent of coronary stenosis, We conclude that , in subjects undergoing coronary angiography, the variance of the relation ship between coronary atherosclerosis and coronary calcium is not a result of differences in serum concentrations of calcium, 1,25(OH)(2) vitamin D or PTH, Coronary Artery Dis 9:513-518 (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.