Increased carotid artery plaque score is an independent predictor of the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.
OBJECTIVE
Carotid ultrasonography is noninvasive and effective for the assessment of atherosclerotic lesions. The relationship between carotid ultrasound findings and presence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) was examined in Japanese patients.


RESULTS
Subjects were 116 patients who underwent carotid ultrasonography and coronary angiography. In carotid ultrasonography, mean-intima-media thickness (IMT), common carotid artery max IMT, bifurcation max IMT, plaque number, and plaque score (PS). The coronary angiographic data was obtained in the same period as carotid ultrasonography was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of coronary artery stenosis (CAS and non-CAS) and CAS group was further categorized into three groups, 1 vessel disease (1VD), 2VD, and 3VD. Physical findings, biochemical data, and carotid ultrasonogram data between the groups were compared. Items showing a significant difference between CAS and non-CAS were age, gender (male), incidence of diabetes and dyslipidemia, fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and all carotid ultrasound findings. All of the above parameters also showed a significant difference between four different severity groups. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which factors predict the presence and/or severity of CAS. High PS showed the strongest predictive value for both and followed by low HDL-C and high FBS. The cut-off value of PS obtained by receiver operating characteristic curve for predicting the presence of CAS was 1.9.


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of PS by carotid ultrasonography together with other risk factor assessment was clinically relevant to predict the presence and severity of CAS.
Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan. moriton@adm.fukuoka-u.ac.jp <moriton@adm.fukuoka-u.ac.jp>
Natsumi
N
Morito
Yukiko
Y
Inoue
Makiko
M
Urata
Eiji
E
Yahiro
Sunao
S
Kodama
Naoka
N
Fukuda
Naoko
N
Saito
Yoshihiro
Y
Tsuchiya
Hiroyuki
H
Mihara
Yoshio
Y
Yamanouchi
Keijiro
K
Saku
Hidenori
H
Urata
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000473:pathology; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein