Calcification of the thoracic aorta determined by three-dimensional computed tomography predicts cardiovascular complications in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Purpose In patients on dialysis, the most common cause of death is cardiovascular disease. This is caused, at least in part, by excessive vascular calcification. Studies that have examined coronary calcification have been published, but these measurements require expensive equipment. Here, we used computed tomography to determine aortic calcification and evaluated these data as prognostic markers for cardiovascular disease.