Aortic atherosclerosis predicts the extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis detected by multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography.
We investigated the association between atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta and the severity and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) coronary angiography. In 122 patients, atherosclerotic plaque was scored from 0 to 4 points by the percentage of the luminal surface at the cross-sectional area of proximal, mid, and distal segments of the descending aorta. Critical coronary atherosclerosis was defined as lesions causing >50% luminal narrowing. Atherosclerotic plaque score of the descending aorta was associated with the severity (noncritical: 2.95 +/- 1.45 vs critical: 4.09 +/- 2.25, P < .001) and extent of coronary atherosclerosis (Kruskal-Wallis test, P < .005). Logistic regression revealed that aortic plaque score was as an independent risk factor associated with the severity of coronary artery disease (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.01-1.73, P <.05). Atherosclerotic plaque burden of the descending aorta was associated with the extent and severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
Yorgun
Hikmet
H
Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey. yorgunhikmet@yahoo.com
Hazirolan
Tuncay
T
Kaya
Ergün Bariş
EB
Canpolat
Uğur
U
Sunman
Hamza
H
Ertuğrul
Ozgür
O
Ateş
Ahmet Hakan
AH
Aksoy
Hakan
H
Aytemir
Kudret
K
Tokgözoğlu
Lale
L
Kabakçi
Giray
G
Oto
Ali
A
D000368:Aged; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*