Should nephrologists consider vascular calcification screening?

Abstract

Vascular calcification (VC) has been widely discussed over the last few decades and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic kidney disease. Importantly, these patients have premature and rapidly progressive calcification when compared with the general population. VC is an active and complex process that is closely regulated by a growing list of inducers and inhibitors. VC can be detected using several non-invasivemodalities including plain radiography, echocardiogramand computed tomography scans. However, the usefulness of these imaging measurements to capture treatment effects may be limited. Routine screening and monitoring for progression of VC remains highly debatable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Nephrology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) <br />122692611Nephrology <br />