Its active factors: it is related to age, vascular wall degeneration, arteriosclerosis, loss of elasticity, intimal injury (because it is the blood vessel with the closest ejection and the greatest pressure on the left ventricle), and the increase of osteoclast activity, which leads to ectopic calcification of bone mass. Deposition indicates the existence of atherosclerotic lesions. Generally speaking, the more serious the calcium deposition, the wider the scope of atherosclerotic lesions.
Passive factors: diabetic pain, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obesity, smoking, increased inflammatory response of endometriosis with damaged blood vessels, poor sleep and other risk factors are all related.
In fact, there is a corresponding relationship between aortic calcification and atherosclerosis, but the pathological process of the two is completely different. It is observed that there is calcification on the arterial wall in the process of atherosclerosis.
The calcification of aortic arch mainly shows that the stiffness of vascular wall increases and the compliance decreases, which leads to the increase of blood pressure, especially systolic blood pressure, which easily leads to the increase of cardiac ejection burden, aggravation of left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure and myocardial ischemia. Elevated blood pressure leads to atherosclerotic plaque formation, arterial stenosis, insufficient blood supply and even plaque rupture and thrombosis, which is one of the important factors of high morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and also one of the important signs of atherosclerotic cardiovascular events, stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.
The active process of aortic calcification is often related to heredity and aging, and we cannot change it. However, in the passive process of aortic calcification, it is necessary to control blood pressure and blood sugar, especially glycosylated hemoglobin and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, not to smoke, to ensure adequate sleep time and quality, to eat less and exercise more, and to prevent obesity. These are the most important measures to prevent cardiovascular events caused by aortic calcification.
Aortic calcification and aortic valve calcification are completely different in concept, development and prognosis. Don't confuse these two concepts, although they can sometimes coexist.
20 19.7. 13
Many elderly people go to the hospital for physical examination and will find such descriptions on chest radiographs, such as calcification of aortic wall, protrusion of aortic node, calcification, widening and tortuosity of aortic arch and so on. Aortic calcification, as the name implies, is the calcification point on the aortic wall. Because of its high density, it can be obviously developed as stones on chest radiograph.
Why is there aortic calcification? How does calcium deposit in the aorta with high pressure and fastest blood flow? In fact, aortic calcification is caused by human aging, decreased vascular elasticity or damaged vascular wall, and it is one of the signs of human aging. About 20% of the elderly over 60 years old have aortic calcification. Aortic junction is the place where blood vessels bend, where the impact of blood flow is great, and the aortic arch is also greatly impacted by blood pressure, so the most common and initial aortic sclerosis is the aortic arch. Aortic calcification is actually a manifestation of atherosclerosis in vascular wall, which is related to hypertension, smoking and hyperlipidemia. , especially patients with long-term hypertension. Because hypertension will cause an excessive burden on arteries, it will compensate for the thickening of blood vessel walls and atherosclerosis. Some lipids are deposited on the blood vessel wall, forming arterial plaques, including some calcium salts. On the chest film or CT, you can see some prominent areas, which are calcification points. In ultrasound, you can see the sound shadow with high echo.
Aortic calcification is generally irreversible and cannot be eliminated by itself. It is one of the manifestations of systemic atherosclerosis. There is a difference between aortic calcification and aortic valve calcification. Simple aortic calcification need not be too tense, but the calcification and decrease of aortic valve elasticity may cause aortic valve stenosis or insufficiency, which will lead to the enlargement of the heart and affect the heart function.
Aortic calcification on chest radiograph is only an imaging description, which does not represent a disease, but a signal of arteriosclerosis. When aortic calcification is found in physical examination, further examination is needed to determine whether there are other arteriosclerosis. You can measure blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, carotid color Doppler ultrasound, cardiac color Doppler ultrasound and electrocardiogram to see if there is cardiovascular and cerebrovascular arteriosclerosis. Simple tortuous calcification of aortic arch does not need treatment, but corresponding measures should be taken to prevent its further development. Including quitting smoking and drinking, reducing the intake of high fat in the diet, eating more fruits and vegetables, and exercising properly to lose weight. For patients with essential hypertension, it is necessary to monitor their blood pressure regularly and take drugs orally to control their blood pressure within the normal range. For hyperlipidemia patients, besides diet and exercise, oral statins are also needed to reduce blood lipids. Diabetes is also a high risk factor for arteriosclerosis, and patients with diabetes also have aortic calcification. The key point is to control blood sugar and reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications.
I'm Dr. Xiaoying. Physical examination chest X-ray shows calcification of aorta, which is very common. Our radiologist can roughly guess his age by looking at the chest film. The first thing is to look at the lung texture, and the second thing is to look at the shape of the aorta. Aortic calcification is very common in the elderly, and people over 60 years old have calcification to some extent.
What does aortic calcification mean?
Chest X-ray shows calcification of aorta, that is, calcification of aortic arch, which is what we call arteriosclerosis. The most common and first place where arteriosclerosis occurs is the aortic arch. Because this position is the place where the great blood vessels connect up and down and turn around, it is easier to calcify than other places because it has to bear the impact of blood flow.
Why does aorta calcify? With the increase of age, the elasticity of aorta weakens and will gradually harden and age. The change of blood composition will also accelerate the hardening of aorta, such as blood viscosity, thrombosis, deposition on blood vessel wall and hardening. Lipid deposition caused by hyperlipidemia can also be calcified.
Generally, the 60-year-old middle-aged and elderly people will have some calcification in the position of aortic node on chest X-ray. Some reports will directly write the results of arteriosclerosis, but they all have the same meaning.
Aortic calcification, need treatment?
Atherosclerosis of aorta is very common in middle-aged and elderly people, indicating that their arteries have gradually aged, so we should be alert to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Pay attention to whether you have heart and brain diseases.
On the one hand, we should improve our lifestyle, form good living habits, avoid smoking and drinking, eat a low-salt and low-fat diet and exercise properly. Alcohol and tobacco will accelerate arteriosclerosis and calcification, so quit smoking and drinking.
On the other hand, you should check whether your blood lipid, blood sugar and blood pressure are high. If it is too high, we must adhere to drug control, especially hyperlipidemia and hypertension. These two heights have great influence on blood vessels and must be controlled.
If it is only simple aortic calcification found by physical examination, there is no disease such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension, in fact, there is no need for special medication. Pay attention to a low-salt and low-fat diet in life. It is normal for arteries to calcify with age. I once met an 83-year-old man to do coronary CTA. Even better than a 50-year-old man, there is no calcification at all. If you can stay 70 years old, there is still only a small amount of calcification in your blood vessels, which is actually quite good.
Our body is like a machine. Taking good care of it will delay the aging process.
Aortic calcification is very common, especially in the elderly. It is natural aging and does not need special treatment. Of course, taking medicine can't get rid of it.
The calcification that can be seen on chest X-ray is most common in aortic node, which is white and curved like an egg shell, so doctors sometimes describe it as eggshell calcification.
Then again, some elderly people are over 70 years old and have no aortic calcification, and some people are even over 40 years old. They have been able to find the changes of blood vessel wall through CT examination, which shows that the speed of blood vessel aging is different.
So besides age, what other factors will accelerate vascular aging?
The common reasons are "three highs" (blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid rise all the year round), smoking and drinking, obesity, lack of rhythm of life (often staying up late, lack of fruits and vegetables) and so on. So proper health care is beneficial to the human body.
Perennial hypertension, alcohol and tobacco stimulation will damage the intima of blood vessels, make lipids deposit on the intima of blood vessels, form atherosclerotic plaques, narrow the lumen, reduce the elasticity, and cause insufficient blood supply.
This patient is only over 40 years old, an old smoker, often staying up late, eating irregularly, and the aorta is normal, but coronary artery calcification has occurred. This year, I even met a 39-year-old patient who had a myocardial infarction. Fortunately, he received timely treatment and placed a coronary stent, and finally saved his life.
Therefore, in general, the elderly should not care about arteriosclerosis, while young people should pay attention to health maintenance as soon as possible, abandon bad living habits, and strive to avoid arteriosclerosis after 70 years old and improve the quality of life in their later years.
I'm Dr. Hao from the Imaging Department. Welcome to pay attention!
Chest X-ray, as a physical examination item, has come into our life more and more, and in the report of chest X-ray physical examination, we often see a sentence of aortic calcification, so what is the problem of aortic calcification? What caused it? Do you need treatment?
First of all, what does aortic calcification suggest?
Aortic calcification is a pathological change that is positively related to age. The older you get, the higher the possibility and the higher the proportion of aortic calcification. But what can aortic calcification suggest? Calcification of aorta often indicates that the elasticity of blood vessels is weakened and the adventitia becomes hard and brittle, which often indicates that the elasticity of aorta and the flexibility of blood vessels are getting worse and worse. Because of the positive correlation with age, aortic calcification often indicates the metabolism and aging of patients' blood vessels.
Second, what is the cause of aortic calcification?
Just said that aortic calcification is positively correlated with age, so besides age, what other factors are related to aortic calcification? Besides age, there are many causes of aortic calcification, but many of them are related to lifestyle, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and drinking, inactivity, high-fat diet and so on. Of course, the cause of aortic calcification is age, genes and other related factors account for a large proportion.
Third, does aortic calcification need treatment?
After aortic calcification, the weakening or disappearance of vascular elasticity will lead to the increase of blood pressure, and the disappearance of height and vascular elasticity will make vascular elasticity worse, and atherosclerosis, vascular tear and rupture will also occur. However, aortic calcification is a metabolic disease related to many factors such as age. Therefore, after aortic calcification, in addition to actively treating the primary disease, the rest is to make therapeutic lifestyle changes. In addition, there seems to be no better way to prevent the occurrence of arterial calcification.