title: Age and coumarin-type anticoagulation are associated with the occurrence of intraplaque hemorrhage, while statins are associated less with intraplaque hemorrhage: a large histopathological study in carotid and femoral plaques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) is an important determinant of progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaque. We recently demonstrated that IPH is an independent predictor of future cardiovascular events after carotid endarterectomy. Thus far, it is unknown whether clinical patient characteristics, such as medication use, are associated with the occurrence of IPH. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of IPH with clinical patient characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1070 consecutive patients who underwent a carotid (n=794) or femoral (n=276) endarterectomy were included. Endarterectomy specimens were subjected to histopathological examination. IPH was observed in 644/794 (81%) carotid and 175/276 (63%) femoral plaques. Carotid IPH was positively correlated with advanced age (69 years [IQR: 62-75] vs. 65 years [IQR: 57-73]; P=0.002) and coumarin-type anticoagulation use prior to operation (104/116 [90%] with coumarin derivatives vs. 540/678 [80%] without coumarin derivatives; P=0.01). Carotid IPH was less frequently observed in patients that used statins prior to endarterectomy (468/595 [79%] with statin vs. 176/199 [88%] without statin; P=0.002). In multivariate analysis, age, coumarin-type anticoagulation use and statin use were independently correlated with carotid IPH. No association was observed between femoral IPH and clinical patient characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced age and coumarin-type anticoagulation use are associated with the occurrence of IPH, while statin use is associated with less IPH.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter J M
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Derksen
authors.forename: Wouter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tersteeg
authors.forename: Jean-Paul P M
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Dominique P V
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: de Kleijn
authors.forename: Frans L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: Allard C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van der Wal
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasterkamp
authors.forename: Aryan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vink
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D003374:Coumarins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000473:pathology*; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D003374:Coumarins; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; C030123:coumarin