Vascular calcification is highly correlated with cardiovascular disease mortality, especially in
patients with ESRD or diabetes. In addition to the devastating effects of inappropriate
biomineralization seen in cardiac valvulopathies, calciphylaxis, and idiopathic arterial
calcification, vascular calcification is now recognized as a marker of atherosclerotic plaque
burden as well as a major contributor to loss of arterial compliance and increased pulse
pressure seen with age, diabetes, and renal insufficiency. In recent years, several …