title: Risk factors for non-calcified plaques in asymptomatic population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of noncalcified coronary plaques in asymptomatic patients and to investigate the risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 584 patients were recruited prospectively. Patients were classified as having low, intermediate, or high pretest likelihoods of coronary artery disease according to the Morise score. Coronary computed tomographic angiography was performed in all patients using a 320-detector row dynamic-volume computed tomographic scanner. Imaging reconstruction was performed, and the postprocessed data were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between risk factors and the presence of noncalcified plaque.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronary computed tomographic angiography revealed noncalcified plaques in 38.3% of all patients (224 of 584). The prevalence of noncalcified plaques was significantly higher in patients with calcium scores > 0 (P < .001). Significant differences were found between the degrees of luminal stenosis among patients with low, intermediate, and high pretest likelihoods of coronary artery disease (P = .001), while the prevalence of noncalcified plaques did not differ with the Morise score (P = .08). Noncalcified plaque was associated with hypercholesterolemia (P = .02) and diabetes mellitus (P = .002). Age (P = .47), gender (P = .58), estrogen status (P = .55), smoking (P = .22), hypertension (P = .27), and family history (P = .09) did not differ between patients with and those without noncalcified plaques.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus are high risk factors for the prevalence of noncalcified plaques for asymptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinan Military General Hospital, No 25, Shifan Road, Jinan 250031, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhao-Hui
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xiang-Sen
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*