title: Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with characteristics of coronary plaque: assessment using integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can predict future cardiovascular disease. Rupture of vulnerable plaque which often has a large lipid core with a thin fibrous cap causes acute coronary syndrome including sudden cardiac death. We tested our hypothesis that preserved CRF is associated with low lipid composition and thick fibrous cap thickness of coronary lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively performed both integrated backscatter intravascular ultrasound (IB-IVUS) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for 77 non-culprit coronary lesions in 77 consecutive angina pectoris patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Percentage of achieved of predicted peak oxygen consumption (%PPeak Vo(2)) calculated based on measured peak Vo(2) using a cardiopulmonary exercise test performed post PCI was adapted as an indicator of patient CRF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were divided into two groups [those with preserved CRF (%PPeak Vo(2) >82%) (Group I) or others (Group II)]. Coronary plaques of Group I patients had significantly smaller lipid volume, greater fibrous volume, and thicker fibrous cap thickness than those of Group II (32 ± 14% vs. 45 ± 13%, p<0.001; 57 ± 11% vs. 49 ± 11%, p<0.001; and 177.7 ± 20.9 μm vs. 143.7 ± 36.9 μm, p<0.001). In multivariate linear regression analysis, %PPeak Vo(2) showed a significantly negative correlation with lipid volume and a positive correlation with fibrous volume and fibrous cap thickness (β=-0.418, p=0.001; β=0.361, p=0.006; and β=0.339, p=0.008).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High %PPeak Vo(2) was associated with low lipid volume, high fibrous volume and thick fibrous cap thickness in coronary lesions. These results may well suggest an attenuated risk of cardiovascular events in patients with preserved CRF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. yodaiji_0526@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Daiji
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Nobutake
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurebayashi
authors.forename: Bummei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.forename: Mutsuharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirashiki
authors.forename: Kyosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takeshita
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Tadayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uetani
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murohara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002302:Cardiac Output; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids