Pathophysiological mechanisms of vascular calcification

Vascular calcification (VC) is a degenerative pathology of the vessel wall. In the general population, VC appearance is associated with aging, but this pathology can also develop as a consequence of atherosclerosis, diabetes, inflammatory and chronic kidney disease. VC is strongly associated with increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease. Although VC has long been considered as the result of a passive precipitation of mineral, it is now well established that this pathology results from an active and highly regulated cellular process, which shares similarities with bone formation. This review summarizes our current knowledge on VC formation, and details the modalities of action of the main actors known to modulate this process.