title: Detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in familial hypercholesterolemia using non-invasive imaging modalities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients using non-invasive images techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The atherosclerotic burden of 36 molecularly defined FH patients (18 males, 45.7±10.9 years) without evidence of cardiovascular disease receiving lipid-lowering treatment and 19 (47.8±11.3 years) controls was investigated. Descending thoracic aorta magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in a 1.5 T equipment with T1 and T2 sequences to characterize atherosclerotic plaques and to measure aortic wall volumen. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and presence of plaques were measured using B-mode carotid ultrasound. Mean aortic wall volumen, cIMT and atherosclerotic plaques in aorta were significantly higher in FH cases (P<0.001). A significant correlation between aortic wall volume and cIMT was observed (P<0.01). Aortic MRI detected plaques in 94% and carotid ultrasound in 14% of cases. Lipid-rich plaques were observed only in FH cases (33%) and were associated with family history of premature coronary artery disease (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asymptomatic middle-aged FH patients have significantly higher atherosclerotic burden than controls. cIMT has shown a significant correlation with aortic wall volume and MRI allowed the detection of lipid-rich plaques in FH subjects that were associated with family history of premature coronary artery disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caballero
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosado
authors.forename: Nelva
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fernández-Friera
authors.forename: Luis Jesús
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Borreguero
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Badimon
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016014:Linear Models; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents