In maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, elevated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was observed in relation to presence of cardiac valve calcification (CVC), including mitral valve calcification (MVC) and aortic valve calcification (AVC). Regular follow-up with echocardiography may afford a valuable tool for risk stratification in MHD cases.

• In this retrospective cohort study of 434 hemodialysis patients who had echocardiography for qualitative assessment of valve calcification, researchers investigated the impact of CVC on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

• All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates were significantly higher in patients with CVC, compared with patients without CVC.

• Multivariate regression analyses revealed MVC (HR: 1.517) and AVC (HR: 1.433) as significant factors linked with all-cause mortality.

• MVC (HR: 2.340) and AVC (HR: 2.410) were also identified as significant factors linked with cardiovascular mortality.