title: Effect of carotid atherosclerosis screening on risk stratification during primary cardiovascular disease prevention.
abstract: We investigated the effect that carotid plaque area (CPA) and intima media thickness (IMT) measurements have on risk stratification in 95 patients with intermediate Framingham scores (6% to 19%). The risk status of each patient was adjusted to be low, intermediate, or high based on the results of carotid ultrasound. After carotid testing, 44% (IMT) and 45% (CPA) of the intermediate-risk patients were stratified as low risk, and 22% (IMT) and 40% (CPA) were stratified as high risk. Using the threshold values derived from our laboratory, 28% (IMT) and 45% (CPA) of patients were stratified as low risk, and 35% (IMT) and 27% (CPA) were identified as high risk. These tests adjust the risk strata of >/=63% of patients deemed as having intermediate risk by Framingham scores.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bard
authors.forename: Henna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kalsi
authors.forename: Melvyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubenfire
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fex
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajagopalan
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography