The relation between cardiovascular calcifications and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

INTRODUCTION: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) has been associated with vascular calcifications, but data are inconclusive. We aimed to assess the association between DISH and calcifications of the coronaries, thoracic aorta, aortic valve, and mitral annulus/valve. METHODS: A total of 3514 male individuals with current or past smoking behavior who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) from the NELSON lung cancer screening trial were included. Calcification volumes were quantified on chest CT using in house developed automatic validated software. DISH presence was assessed visually according to Resnick criteria. Associations were evaluated with multivariate linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS: DISH was present in 241 subjects (6.9%). Subjects with DISH had higher coronary calcification (median 402 mm3, IQR: 78-1281 mm3 vs. 173 mm3, IQR: 13-741 mm3), thoracic aortic calcification volumes (1158 mm3, IQR: 275-3889 mm3 vs. 486 mm3, IQR: 98-1665 mm3), and a higher proportion of aortic valve calcifications (39.5% vs. 22.3%) and mitral valve/annulus calcifications (5.8% vs. 2.8%), p < 0.05 for all. DISH was associated with the presence of thoracic aortic calcifications (OR:1.55;95%CI:1.09-2.20) and aortic valve calcifications (OR:1.53;95%CI:1.14-2.04) in multivariate analyses. DISH was associated with more thoracic aortic (β:0.13; 95%CI:0.03, 0.24), and aortic valve calcification volumes (β:0.03; 95%CI:0.004, 0.06), but not with coronary artery or mitral valve/annulus calcification volumes. CONCLUSION: We observed an independent relationship between DISH and thoracic aortic and aortic valve calcifications, but not with coronary artery calcifications and mitral valve calcifications.