Calcific Aortopathy in Response to Aging and Injury

Mar 9, 2026Circulation

Calcium Buildup in the Aorta Linked to Aging and Damage

AI simplified

Longevity & Aging on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Abstract

Calcification of the aorta and aortic valves occurs in most individuals in westernized societies with advancing age.

Abdominal aortic calcification typically precedes ascending thoracic aortic disease.
In common disease contexts like metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease, calcification can arise earlier.
Calcification in the arterial media is linked to accelerated neurocognitive decline and increased cardiovascular mortality.
Recent research has improved understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying aortic calcium deposition, including innate immunity and aging processes.
Future advancements may lead to effective treatments for the clinical consequences of .

AI simplified

The arterial vasculature is the second most frequently calcified structure in the human body after the skeleton. Calcification of the aorta and aortic valves occurs in most individuals in westernized societies with advancing age, with abdominal aortic calcification generally preceding ascending thoracic aortic disease. In cardiac valves and the thoracic aorta, however, calcification often arises earlier in common disease contexts characterized by metabolic, mechanical, or inflammatory injury (eg, metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, irradiation). In these settings, calcification frequently involves the arterial media as a histoanatomic feature, and is associated with accelerated neurocognitive decline and increased cardiovascular mortality, reflecting a form of precocious aging. The term arteriosclerosis was coined nearly 2 centuries ago to describe the calcium-mediated hardening of the aorta and conduit arteries observed at autopsy with aging. However, much of our understanding of the causes, characterization, and consequences of aortic calcium deposition has emerged only within the past decade. Features of disease biology, including engagement of innate immunity, senescence (), and ectopic activation of osteogenic mechanisms, are consistently revealed. In this article, we briefly review the burgeoning literature, highlighting recent advances in clinical and discovery science with translational implications. Given the current trajectory, after 2 centuries of disease recognition, the next decade of innovation promises meaningful progress toward effective medical treatments to prevent and treat the clinical consequences of .

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.

View full text ↗

Calcific Aortopathy in Response to Aging and Injury

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the longevity & aging brief