Intravascular ultrasound measures of coronary  atherosclerosis are associated with the Framingham risk  score: an analysis from a global IVUS registry.
OBJECTIVE
In addition to an adjunctive imaging platform during coronary angiography, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) with Virtual Histology (VH) is increasingly being used to quantify coronary atherosclerosis. The relationship between VH-IVUS measures of coronary atherosclerosis and traditional cardiovascular risk factors has not been completely described. The objective of this study was to determine if an association exists between VH-IVUS measures of coronary atherosclerosis and the Framingham risk score in a prospective, multinational registry.


RESULTS
Patients enrolled from 2004-2006 at 37 multinational centres in the prospective VHIVUS Global Registry were analysed. All subjects underwent diagnostic coronary angiography followed by IVUS. A Framingham risk score (FRS) was calculated for each subject, then stratified into three exclusive estimates (<10%, 10-19%, or >or= 20%) for future coronary heart disease (CHD) event risk over 10 years. Among 531 patients, plaque volume of the most diseased 10 mm segment increased with increasing FRS (P=0.006, adjusted for multiple comparisons). Patients with higher FRS estimates of CHD risk had a higher proportion of plaque classified as thin cap fibroatheroma compared with patients in the middle and lower risk score categories (21.4% vs 15.2% and 11.3%, respectively, P=0.008, adjusted for multiple comparisons).


CONCLUSIONS
Using data from a large, multinational VH-IVUS registry we describe an association between the Framingham risk score and VH-IVUS measures of atherosclerosis within the most diseased 10 mm segment, namely plaque volume and the proportion of thin cap fibroatheroma.
Marso
Steven P
SP
Mid America Heart Institute, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA. smarso@saint-lukes.org
Frutkin
Andrew D
AD
Mehta
Sameer K
SK
House
John A
JA
McCrary
Justin R
JR
Klauss
Volker
V
Lerman
Amir
A
Leon
Martin B
MB
Nair
Anuja
A
Margolis
Pauliina
P
Erbel
Raimund
R
Nasu
Kenya
K
Schiele
Francois
F
Margolis
James
J
D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014481:United States