Mitral annulus calcification and the risk of infective endocarditis: insights from DANCAVAS screening trials.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Risk stratification in infective endocarditis (IE) does not incorporate structural substrates involved in early disease initiation. The aim of this study was to examine the association between mitral annulus calcification (MAC) burden and the risk of IE.

Methods and results

This substudy utilized the population-based DANCAVAS cohort undergoing non-contrast computed tomography (CT) with MAC quantification with follow-up until 19 August 2025. The primary outcome was incidence rates and 10-year risk of IE across three exploratory categorical groups: No MAC (0 arbitrary units (AU)), MAC 1-299 AU, and MAC ≥300 AU. A total of 14 793 participants were included with mean (SD) age, 66.9 (3.8) years, and 14 053 males (95.0%). Median MAC was 13 AU (IQR3.3-56.2) in the MAC 1-299 gr

SUBMITTER: Krasniqi L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC13584202 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature