title: Coronary plaque vulnerability in metabolic syndrome: assessment of carotid artery morphology in acute coronary syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical implication of metabolic syndrome and carotid artery morphologies on coronary plaque vulnerability in Japanese men with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Consecutive ACS Japanese men (n=225) underwent emergent coronary angiography and B-mode ultrasonography within 1 week of the acute coronary event. With a 11.3-MHz linear array transducer, the morphologies of common carotid artery were examined. Common carotid arteries with an intima-media thickness>1.1 mm and interadventitial diameter>8.0 mm were considered to be undergoing carotid artery remodeling. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the number of complex plaques identified by coronary angiography. Abdominal obesity, low level of high-density lipoprotein and carotid artery remodeling were more often observed in patients with multiple, complex coronary plaques than in patients with a single, complex plaque (p<0.03, p<0.03 and p=0.0001, respectively). Metabolic syndrome and carotid artery remodeling were independent predictors of multiple, complex coronary plaques (odds ratio 1.86, p<0.05; odds ratio 5.96, p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Metabolic syndrome and carotid artery remodeling might be useful indicators to assess the efficacy of aggressive treatments for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in ACS Japanese men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hiroshima City Asa Hospital, Japan. ms-katou@asa-hosp.city.hiroshima.jp
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Keigo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dote
authors.forename: Shota
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naganuma
authors.forename: Tomohito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia; D012307:Risk Factors