Participants

Of the 6814 participants enrolled at baseline, participants were excluded from this analysis if complete information on dietary intake (n=283) was not available. Those with implausibly high calcium intakes (>5000 mg/day) were excluded (n=347). Participants with abnormal renal function, that is, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values of 60 mL/min or less, were also excluded (n=622) given that impaired renal function could influence calcium metabolism. In addition, participants with daily energy intakes <600 or >6000 kcal/day were excluded (n=114). This left 5448 participants available for cross‐sectional analysis at the baseline exam (2000–2002).

There were 3305 subjects who participated in the MESA Air ancillary study and were eligible for a second computed tomography (CT) scan 10 years later. Of these participants, 2742 (83%) had complete covariate data and returned for a second follow‐up CAC scan at MESA Exam 5 (2010–2012) enabling them to be included in longitudinal analysis. Of these, 1567 were free of CAC at baseline and included in the incident CAC analysis, and 1175 had a baseline CAC >0 and were included in the change in CAC score analysis.

A flow diagram of participant inclusion/exclusion of our substudy is shown in Figure. Additionally, Table 1 compares the baseline characteristics of the overall MESA cohort (n=6814), the MESA Air participants with CAC measured at Exam 1 and Exam 5 (n=3305), and the sample used for longitudinal analyses in this article (n=2742).

Flow diagram of study inclusion and exclusion criteria: the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA; 2000–2012). CAC indicates coronary artery calcium; FFQ, food frequency questionnaire; GFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high density lipoprotein.

Clinical Characteristics^a at the MESA Baseline Exam (2000–2002) Comparing the Overall MESA Cohort, the MESA Air Ancillary Participants (With CAC Measured at Exam 1 and Exam 5), and the Sample Used for the Longitudinal Analyses of This Article

ASA indicates acetylsalicylic acid; BP indicates blood pressure; CAC, coronary artery calcium; CHD, coronary heart disease; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL, high‐density lipoprotein; hs‐CRP, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein; MESA, the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis; MET, metabolic equivalent task.