Race-specific relationships between coronary and carotid artery calcification and carotid intimal medial thickness.
OBJECTIVE
Calcified arterial plaque has been proposed as a subclinical marker of atherosclerosis. We compared it to a well-validated surrogate--carotid intimal medial thickness (IMT).


METHODS
Calcified arterial plaque was measured in 2 vascular beds (coronary and carotid) by computed tomography, and common carotid artery IMT was measured by B-mode ultrasonography, in 438 participants.


RESULTS
Calcium was positively associated with IMT (r=0.36 for coronary and r=0.45 for carotid, both P<0.0001). Correlations were attenuated with adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
Calcified plaque in the coronary and carotid arteries is moderately associated with subclinical atherosclerosis.
Wagenknecht
Lynne E
LE
Department of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1063, USA. lwgnkcht@wfubmc.edu
Langefeld
Carl D
CD
Carr
J Jeffrey
JJ
Riley
Ward
W
Freedman
Barry I
BI
Moossavi
Shahriar
S
Bowden
Donald W
DW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D015415:Biomarkers