Vitamin D intoxication & metastatic calcification

"... Vascular calcification
Small vessel calcification is the precursor of calciphylaxis, discussed above. It is partially reversible by parathyroidectomy in some patients, in contrast to large vessel calcification. An uncommon aspect is involvement of the penis, causing impotence and eventual gangrene. The prognosis of patients with widespread small vessel calcification in dismal. Linear calcification of medium and large arteries develops gradually during renal failure, causes narrowing of the lumen and ends in amputation for a significant minority of patients. Most authors identify high calcium phosphate product as the main aetiological factor in vascular calcification. Traditionally the product is of serum phosphate and total serum calcium though ionised serum calcium would be more logical. However several studies have shown no correlation [35, 36]suggesting that there are other important risk factors still to be discovered.

4.2 Cardiac calcification
Calcification affects the myocardium, coronary arteries and valves. Mitral valve annulus calcification is not uncommon in the elderly, especially diabetics, with normal renal function but its prevalence is substantially raised in renal failure even before dialysis. It is associated with mitral valve calcification, mitral systolic murmurs, left ventricular dilatation and reduced function [37]. Progression to mitral stenosis during dialysis has been documented [38]. Aortic valve calcification, affecting tricuspid valves, is less common but not rare in the ageing dialysis population, leading to aortic stenosis [39]. Age and raised calcium phosphate product, serum PTH and alkaline phosphatase are risk factors for both mitral and aortic valve calcification...."

Learn more/full paper: http://cardiovascres.oxfordjournals.org/content/36/3/293


Hypercalcemia and metastatic calcification
cardiovascres.oxfordjournals.org
I grew up in Edinburgh, at the same latitude as Copenhagen, and then covered by a pall of coal smoke which gave it the sobriquet ‘auld reekie’. Many bandy-legged and dwarfed citizens carried the legacy of rickets contracted before the discovery of vitamin D, the fortification of food and the Clean A…