Vascular calcification, which is common in the elderly and in patients with atherosclerosis,
diabetes and chronic renal disease, increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and
mortality. It is a complex, active and highly regulated cellular process that resembles
physiological bone formation. It has previously been established that pharmacological
doses of glucocorticoids facilitate arterial calcification. However, the consequences for
vascular calcification of endogenous glucocorticoid elevation have yet to be established …