Carotid and femoral ultrasound morphology screening and cardiovascular events in low risk subjects: a 10-year follow-up study (the CAFES-CAVE study(1))

Serum vitamin D level is negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in Korean adults

The present study investigated the associations between serum vitamin D levels and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), carotid plaque and atherosclerosis in 71 Korean adults. CIMT and the presence of carotid plaque were assessed with a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound system, and carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a mean CIMT value >0.9 mm or the presence of carotid plaque. A vitamin D deficiency was associated with the presence of carotid plaque (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 9.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-56.3; p = 0.016). As serum vitamin D levels increased, the presence of high-risk carotid plaque decreased (aOR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.72-0.99; p = 0.039). Serum vitamin D levels was negatively associated with carotid atherosclerosis (aOR: 0.86, 95%CI: 0.76-0.97; p = 0.018). Further studies are needed to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation would be effective for the prevention of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

Markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with aortic valve sclerosis: A meta-analysis of literature studies

OBJECTIVE

Growing evidence suggested an association between aortic valve sclerosis (AVSc) and cardiovascular (CV) events. However, little is known about the association of AVSc with major markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. We performed a meta-analysis of literature studies to address this issue.

METHODS

Studies on the relationship between AVSc and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), prevalence of carotid plaques (CPs), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx) were systematically searched in electronic databases. Thirteen studies enrolling 1086 AVSc patients and 2124 controls were included.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, AVSc patients showed higher IMT (MD: 0.32mm; 95%CI: 0.07, 0.58; p=0.014), and higher prevalence of CPs (OR: 4.06; 95%CI: 2.38, 6.93; p<0.001). Moreover, lower FMD (MD: -4.48%; 95%CI: -7.23, -1.74; p=0.001) and higher PWV (MD: 0.96%; 95%CI: 0.11, 1.81; p=0.027) were found in AVSc subjects than in controls, with no differences in AIx (MD: 0.76%; 95%CI: -0.97, 2.49; p=0.389). In meta-regression analyses, body mass index and triglyceride levels have an impact on the difference in IMT between cases and controls, while male gender and smoking habit were associated with the difference in the prevalence of CPs between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

AVSc is significantly associated with altered markers of subclinical atherosclerosis, thus supporting the concept that AVSc and atherosclerosis share common etiopathological mechanism and/or risk factors.

Type IIB von Willebrand Disease: Role of Qualitative Defects in Atherosclerosis and Endothelial Dysfunction

Objective. To verify whether a hereditary bleeding tendency, such as von Willebrand disease (vWD) type IIB, protects against the onset of atherosclerosis. Participants and Methods. Twenty-four patients with vWD type IIB and 24 healthy controls, matched for common atherosclerotic risk factors. All patients were evaluated by color Doppler ultrasound of the common carotid, carotid bifurcation, common femoral artery, brachial artery, and abdominal aorta, investigating intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of plaques in each arterial district. Flow mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery was used to test endothelial function. Results. vWD type IIB patients presented no significant difference in IMT in any arterial district. FMD showed no differences between the 2 groups. Conclusions. The quantitative clotting defect characteristic of vWD type IIB does not seem to protect against atherosclerosis.

Association between abdominal aortic plaque and coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE

Currently, the association between abdominal aortic plaques and coronary artery disease (CAD) has not yet been clarified clearly. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of abdominal aortic plaques by ultrasound imaging and to explore its association with CAD in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

METHODS

Between October 2014 and June 2015, a prospective study was conducted in the Department of Cardiology at Guangdong General Hospital, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Ultrasound scanning of the abdominal aortas was performed in 1,667 consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. Clinical characteristics and coronary profile were collected from the patients.

RESULTS

Of the 1,667 study patients (male, 68.9%; mean age, 63±11 years) undergoing coronary angiography, 1,268 had CAD. Compared with 399 patients without CAD, 1,268 patients with CAD had higher prevalence of abdominal aortic plaques (37.3% vs 17%, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, abdominal aortic plaques served as independent factors associated with the presence of CAD (odds ratio =2.08; 95% confidence interval =1.50-2.90; P<0.001). Of the 1,268 patients with CAD, the prevalence of abdominal aortic plaques was 27.0% (98/363) in patients with one-vessel disease, 35.0% (107/306) in patients with two-vessel disease, and 44.7% (268/599) in patients with three-vessel disease. Stepwise increases in the prevalence of abdominal aortic plaque was found depending on the number of stenotic coronary vessels (P<0.001; P-value for trend <0.001). In an ordinal logistic regression model, abdominal aortic plaques served as independent factors associated with the severity of CAD according to the number of stenotic coronary vessels (P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of abdominal aortic plaques was higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD. Abdominal aortic plaque was an independent factor associated with the presence and severity of CAD.

A Study to derive distribution of carotid intima media thickness and to determine its COrrelation with cardiovascular Risk factors in asymptomatic nationwidE Indian population (SCORE-India)

BACKGROUND

There is presently no data to describe normal distribution of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), an established measure of subclinical atherosclerosis, in Indian subjects.

METHODS

In this multi-centric study, 1229 subjects with age ≥30 years and no previous cardiovascular disease (CVD) underwent CVD risk factor assessment and CIMT measurement. Mean far wall common carotid artery IMT was measured on both sides and averaged.

RESULTS

Mean age of the subjects was 48.0±12.0 years and 54.2% were men. CIMT measurement was feasible in 1157 subjects. Mean, median and 75th percentile values of CIMT for different age-groups were derived for men and women separately. There was a progressive increase in CIMT with increasing age (P<0.001) and men had higher CIMT values than women (0.608±0.12mm vs. 0.579±0.11mm, P<0.001). The CIMT values were also higher in diabetics (0.635±0.10mm) and hypertensives (0.624±0.10mm) as compared to non-diabetics (0.589±0.12mm, P<0.001) and non-hypertensives (0.592±0.12, P 0.02) respectively. Among continuous variables, age, systolic blood pressure and fasting blood glucose had strong to modest correlation with CIMT (Pearson's r 0.524, 0.282 and 0.192 respectively, all P values <0.001), whereas body mass index, diastolic blood pressure and serum triglycerides exhibited weak but still statistically significant relationship (Pearson's r 0.069, P 0.019; Pearson's r 0.065, P 0.026; and Pearson's r 0.094, P 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to provide age- and gender-specific distribution of CIMT in Indian subjects free from CVD. This information should help facilitate further research and clinical work involving CIMT in India.

Randomised intervention study to assess the prevalence of subclinical vascular disease and hidden kidney disease and its impact on morbidity and mortality: The ILERVAS project

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and atherosclerosis are 2 interrelated diseases that increase the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The objectives of the ILERVAS project are: 1) to determine the prevalence of subclinical arterial disease and hidden kidney disease; 2) to assess the impact of early diagnosis of both diseases on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and also on the progression of CKD; 3) to have a platform of data and biological samples.

METHODS

Randomized intervention study. From 2015 to 2017, 19,800 people (9,900 in the intervention group and 9,900 in the control group) aged between 45 and 70 years without previous history of cardiovascular disease and with at least one cardiovascular risk factor will be randomly selected from the primary health care centres across the province of Lérida. A team of experts will travel around in a mobile unit to carry out the following baseline tests on the intervention group: Artery ultrasound; (carotid, femoral, transcranial and abdominal aorta); ankle-brachial index; spirometry; determination of advanced glycation end products; dried blood spot and urine spot tests. Additionally, blood and urine samples will be collected and stored in the biobank to identify new biomarkers using omics studies. Participants will be followed up until 2025 for identification of cardiovascular events, treatment changes and changes in lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

The ILERVAS project will reveal the prevalence of subclinical vascular disease and hidden kidney disease, determine whether or not their early diagnosis brings health benefits and will also allow investigation of new risk factors.

Eight-year outcomes of a program for early prevention of cardiovascular events: a growth-curve analysis

BACKGROUND

Early identification of cardiovascular diseases allows us to prevent the progression of these diseases. The Bale/Doneen Method, a prevention and treatment program for heart attacks and ischemic strokes, has been adopted nationally in primary care and specialty clinics.

OBJECTIVES

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Bale/Doneen Method on lipoproteins and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) for cardiovascular disease prevention and reduction. A secondary purpose was to illustrate the use of latent growth-curve analysis in studying trajectories of clinical outcomes and biomarkers in individual patients over time.

METHOD

This retrospective analysis is based on 576 patients at a nurse-managed ambulatory clinic who received the heart attack prevention and treatment program from 2000 to 2008. All patients were white; 61% were men; mean age was 55.5 years. Outcome measures include hemoglobin A1c, fasting blood sugar, plaque burden score (PBS), high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), mean carotid artery IMT, and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 test results. Latent growth-curve analysis was used in modeling changes in these outcome measures.

RESULTS

On average, mean IMT score decreased by 0.01 per year (P < .001), PBS decreased by 0.17 per year (P < .001), LDL decreased by 5.19 per year (P < .001), and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 decreased by 3.6 per year (P < .05). Hemoglobin A1c increased by 0.04 per year (P < .001). Significant sex and age differences in the initial level and/or rate of change of mean IMT, PBS, fasting blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein, and LDL scores were found.

DISCUSSION

The current findings suggest that the Bale/Doneen Method is effective in generating a positive effect on the atherosclerotic disease process by achieving regression of disease in the carotid arteries.

Identification by ultrasound evaluation of the carotid and femoral arteries of high-risk subjects missed by three validated cardiovascular disease risk algorithms

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events are the leading cause of death in the United States and globally. Traditional global risk algorithms may miss 50% of patients who experience ASCVD events. Noninvasive ultrasound evaluation of the carotid and femoral arteries can identify subjects at high risk for ASCVD events. We examined the ability of different global risk algorithms to identify subjects with femoral and/or carotid plaques found by ultrasound. The study population consisted of 1,464 asymptomatic adults (39.8% women) aged 23 to 87 years without previous evidence of ASCVD who had ultrasound evaluation of the carotid and femoral arteries. Three ASCVD risk algorithms (10-year Framingham Risk Score [FRS], 30-year FRS, and lifetime risk) were compared for the 939 subjects who met the algorithm age criteria. The frequency of femoral plaque as the only plaque was 18.3% in the total group and 14.8% in the risk algorithm groups (n = 939) without a significant difference between genders in frequency of femoral plaque as the only plaque. Those identified as high risk by the lifetime risk algorithm included the most men and women who had plaques either femoral or carotid (59% and 55%) but had lower specificity because the proportion of subjects who actually had plaques in the high-risk group was lower (50% and 35%) than in those at high risk defined by the FRS algorithms. In conclusion, ultrasound evaluation of the carotid and femoral arteries can identify subjects at risk of ASCVD events missed by traditional risk-predicting algorithms. The large proportion of subjects with femoral plaque only supports the use of including both femoral and carotid arteries in ultrasound evaluation.

The 2013 ACC/AHA 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk index is better than SCORE and QRisk II in rheumatoid arthritis: is it enough?

OBJECTIVE

To determine the ability of the new American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk algorithm in detecting high cardiovascular (CV) risk, RA patients identified by carotid ultrasonography (US) were compared with Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) and QRisk II algorithms.

METHODS

SCORE, QRisk II, 2013 ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk and EULAR recommended modified versions were calculated in 216 RA patients. In sonographic evaluation, carotid intima-media thickness >0.90 mm and/or carotid plaques were used as the gold standard test for subclinical atherosclerosis and high CV risk (US+).

RESULTS

Eleven (5.1%), 15 (6.9%) and 44 (20.4%) patients were defined as having high CV risk according to SCORE, QRisk II and ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk, respectively. Fifty-two (24.1%) patients were US + and of those, 8 (15.4%), 7 (13.5%) and 23 (44.2%) patients were classified as high CV risk according to SCORE, QRisk II and ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk, respectively. The ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk index better identified US + patients than SCORE and QRisk II (P < 0.0001). With EULAR modification, reclassification from moderate to high risk occurred only in two, five and seven patients according to SCORE, QRisk II and ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The 2013 ACC/AHA 10-year ASCVD risk estimator was better than the SCORE and QRisk II indices in RA, but still failed to identify 55% of high risk patients. Furthermore adjustment of threshold and EULAR modification did not work well.

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness for Atherosclerosis

The carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is a widely used surrogate marker for atherosclerosis worldwide. The carotid IMT can be simply, noninvasively, and reproducibly measured through B-mode carotid ultrasound. The carotid IMT is also a strong predictor of future cerebral and cardiovascular events. In addition, regressions of increased carotid IMT by lipid-lowering and antihypertensive drugs have been reported. Despite the strong association between increased carotid IMT and cardiovascular disease, it remains unclear whether routine carotid IMT measurement is useful for the detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in clinical practice. Researches should consider other methodological aspects, such as the definition of carotid plaques, the choice of measurement sites on the common or internal carotid artery, and the assessment of maximum or minimum IMT. The detailed guidelines for measuring carotid IMT vary by county. Thus, the usefulness of the carotid IMT may be assessed in different countries taking racial differences into account. Other important parameters revealed by carotid ultrasound, such as artery stenosis and the characteristics and size of plaques, should also be considered. Physicians should comprehensively interpret the results of carotid ultrasonography. Therefore, carotid ultrasonography is an essential tool for assessing cardiovascular risk in clinical settings.

The Additive Value of Femoral Ultrasound for Subclinical Atherosclerosis Assessment in a Single Center Cohort of 962 Adults, Including High Risk Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Presence of femoral atheromatic plaques, an emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarker additional to carotid plaques, is poorly investigated in conditions associating with accelerated atherosclerosis such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM).

OBJECTIVE/METHODS

To assess the frequency of femoral/carotid subclinical atheromatosis phenotypes in RA, HIV and T2DM and search for each disease-specific probability of either femoral and/or carotid subclinical atheromatosis, we examined by ultrasound a single-center cohort of CVD-free individuals comprised of consecutive non-diabetic patients with RA (n=226) and HIV (n=133), T2DM patients (n=109) and non-diabetic individuals with suspected/known hypertension (n=494) who served as reference group.

RESULTS

Subclinical atheromatosis--defined as local plaque presence in at least on arterial bed--was diagnosed in 50% of the overall population. Among them, femoral plaques only were found in 25% of either RA or HIV patients, as well as in 16% of T2DM patients and 35% of reference subjects. After adjusting for all classical CVD risk factors, RA and HIV patients had comparable probability to reference group of having femoral plaques, but higher probability (1.75; 1.17-2.63 (odds ratio; 95% confidence intervals), 2.04; 1.14-3.64, respectively) of having carotid plaques, whereas T2DM patients had higher probability to have femoral and carotid plaques, albeit, due to their pronounced dyslipidemic profile.

CONCLUSION

RA and HIV accelerate predominantly carotid than femoral. A "two windows" carotid/femoral, rather than carotid alone ultrasound, screening improves substantially subclinical atheromatosis detection in patients at high CVD risk.

Lipoprotein (a) levels are not associated with carotid plaques and carotid intima media thickness in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia

BACKGROUND

Lipoprotein (a), also called Lp(a), is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Statins do not lower Lp(a), this may at least partly explain residual CVD risk in statin-treated patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). We investigated the association of Lp(a) levels with atherosclerosis in these patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed ultrasonography in 191 statin-treated FH patients (50% men; 48 ± 15 years) to detect carotid plaques and determine carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT). Patients with high versus low Lp(a) levels (≤0.3 g/L) had similar plaque prevalence (36 and 31%, p = 0.4) and C-IMT (0.59 ± 0.12 and 0.59 ± 0.13 mm, p = 0.8). Patients with and without plaques had similar Lp(a) levels (median 0.35 (IQR: 0.57) and 0.24 (0.64) g/L, respectively, p = 0.4).

CONCLUSIONS

The Lp(a) levels were not associated with atherosclerosis in the carotid arteries of statin-treated FH patients. This suggests that adequate statin treatment delays carotid atherosclerosis in FH independently of Lp(a) levels.

Cardiovascular risk markers in patients with psoriatic arthritis: A meta-analysis of literature studies

INTRODUCTION

Several studies reported an increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). We performed a meta-analysis on the impact of PsA on major markers of CV risk.

METHODS

Studies on the relationship between PsA and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT), prevalence of carotid plaques, flow-mediated dilation (FMD), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were systematically searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE databases.

RESULTS

Sixteen case-control studies (898 cases, 1,140 controls) were included. Compared to controls, PsA patients showed a higher CCA-IMT (MD 0.07 mm; 95% CI 0.04, 0.11; P < 0.0001), and a higher frequency of carotid plaques (OR 3.12; 95% CI 1.03, 9.39; P = 0.04). Moreover, a lower FMD was found in PsA subjects than in controls (MD -2.56%; 95% CI -4.17, -0.94; P = 0.002), with no differences in NMD (MD -0.40%; 95% CI -1.19, 0.39; P = 0.32). Because of the low number of studies, no meta- analytical evaluation was performed for PWV, AIx, and ABI. Despite heterogeneity among studies, PsA appears significantly associated with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and CV risk.

DISCUSSION

These findings could help to establish more specific CV prevention strategies in this clinical setting.

[Prediction of coronary artery stenosis by measurement of total plaque area and thickness versus intima media thickness of the carotid artery]

Total plaque area (TPA), maximum plaque thickness and intima media thickness (IMT) in the carotid arteries of 431 patients aged 27-88 years were measured 1 day before a planned coronary artery angiography without any clinical knowledge about the patient. Age-related cut-off values of the TPA for the presence of coronary stenosis were evaluated. Using ultrasound four types of carotid artery atherosclerosis were identified. The accuracy of detection of cardiovascular coronary stenosis was 87% for types III and IVb. No type I patient had coronary stenosis. The IMT was significantly less predictive: the area under the curve (AUC) for TPA by age and plaque thickness was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.85) versus IMT 0.59 (95% CI: 0.54-0.64, p = 0.001). Prediction with TPA measurement by age and plaque thickness was better than TPA alone: AUC 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.85) versus 0.77 (95% CI: 0.73-0.81, p = 0.0028), respectively. In a second cohort of 2566 healthy men and 1216 healthy women aged between 20 and 64 years who were examined in an occupational screening program, 11.2% of the men and 3.4% of the women showed a type III or IVb result. In the mean follow-up of period of 23.4 ± 14.4 months, 14 heart attacks, 7 bypass operations and 3 stent implantations occurred and 6 subjects showed coronary stenosis between 50% and 95% in coronary angiography. In the baseline examination 26 out of 30 patients showed a type III or IVb result. In the case of men and women with types III and IVb diagnosis by ultrasound, pharmaceutical treatment could be indicated in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Type I patients do not need preventive medication or coronary catheterization.

Relationship between different cardiovascular risk scores and measures of subclinical atherosclerosis in an Indian population

BACKGROUND

Relative accuracy of the various currently available cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment algorithms in Indian patients is not known.

METHODS

This study included 194 consecutive patients (mean age 49.6 ± 10.3 years, 84.5% males) attending a CV disease prevention clinic at a tertiary center in north India. Four risk assessment models [Framingham Risk score (RiskFRS), American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association pooled cohort equations (RiskACC/AHA), the 3rd iteration of Joint British Societies' risk calculator (RiskJBS) and the World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension risk prediction charts (RiskWHO)] were applied. The estimated risk scores were correlated with carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and coronary calcium score (CCS) using nonparametric statistics (Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman rank correlation).

RESULTS

Overall, RiskACC/AHA and RiskWHO significantly underestimated CV risk as compared to RiskJBS and RiskFRS, with RiskJBS being the least likely to underestimate the risk (patients with coronary artery disease who were found to have ≥20% CV risk- 21.4% with RiskACC/AHA, 17.9% with RiskWHO, 41.4% with RiskFRS, and 58.6% with RiskJBS). Further, only RiskJBS and RiskFRS, but not RiskACC/AHA and RiskWHO, demonstrated consistent relationship with CIMT and CCS (Spearman rho 0.45 and 0.46 for RiskJBS and 0.39 and 0.36 for RiskFRS for CIMT and CCS respectively, all p values < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The present study shows that in Indian subjects RiskJBS appears to provide the most accurate estimation of CV risk. It least underestimates the risk and has the best correlation with CIMT and CCS. However, large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Prevalence, Vascular Distribution, and Multiterritorial Extent of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in a Middle-Aged Cohort: The PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) Study

BACKGROUND

Data are limited on the presence, distribution, and extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged populations.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The PESA (Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis) study prospectively enrolled 4184 asymptomatic participants 40 to 54 years of age (mean age, 45.8 years; 63% male) to evaluate the systemic extent of atherosclerosis in the carotid, abdominal aortic, and iliofemoral territories by 2-/3-dimensional ultrasound and coronary artery calcification by computed tomography. The extent of subclinical atherosclerosis, defined as presence of plaque or coronary artery calcification ≥1, was classified as focal (1 site affected), intermediate (2-3 sites), or generalized (4-6 sites) after exploration of each vascular site (right/left carotids, aorta, right/left iliofemorals, and coronary arteries). Subclinical atherosclerosis was present in 63% of participants (71% of men, 48% of women). Intermediate and generalized atherosclerosis was identified in 41%. Plaques were most common in the iliofemorals (44%), followed by the carotids (31%) and aorta (25%), whereas coronary artery calcification was present in 18%. Among participants with low Framingham Heart Study (FHS) 10-year risk, subclinical disease was detected in 58%, with intermediate or generalized disease in 36%. When longer-term risk was assessed (30-year FHS), 83% of participants at high risk had atherosclerosis, with 66% classified as intermediate or generalized.

CONCLUSIONS

Subclinical atherosclerosis was highly prevalent in this middle-aged cohort, with nearly half of the participants classified as having intermediate or generalized disease. Most participants at high FHS risk had subclinical disease; however, extensive atherosclerosis was also present in a substantial number of low-risk individuals, suggesting added value of imaging for diagnosis and prevention.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01410318.

Obesity with metabolic abnormality is associated with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis in Korean men: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but metabolic disturbances can also lead to the development of this disease. Therefore, we investigated the associations between obesity subtype, considering both body weight and metabolic disturbances, and carotid atherosclerosis as a predictor of cardiovascular disease in Korean men.

METHODS

Data from a total of 980 men were analysed in this study. Obesity subtypes were classified as normal weight without metabolic syndrome (metabolically healthy normal weight; MHNW), obesity without metabolic syndrome (metabolically healthy, but obese; MHO), normal weight with metabolic syndrome (metabolically abnormal, but normal weight; MANW) and obesity with metabolic syndrome (metabolically abnormal obese; MAO). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and carotid plaque were assessed using a high-resolution B-mode ultrasound system. Carotid atherosclerosis was defined as a mean CIMT value >0.9 mm or the presence of carotid plaque.

RESULTS

Mean CIMT in the MAO subtype was significantly higher than that in the MHNW control group (0.790 ± 0.019 vs. 0.747 ± 0.013 mm; p < 0.001). The presence of carotid plaque was positively associated with MAO subtype [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.49, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.16; p = 0.039], but not with MHO or MANW, compared to the MHNW control group. The MAO subtype showed a positive association with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis (aOR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.17-2.42; p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Only the MAO subtype showed a higher CIMT value and positive associations with carotid plaque and carotid atherosclerosis, but not with MHO and MANW subtypes, compared to the MHNW control. Additional prospective studies are needed to evaluate preclinical carotid atherosclerosis according to the subtypes of obesity.

Presence of external carotid artery plaque independently predicts mortality in patients without internal carotid artery atherosclerosis

Background:

The presence of plaque in the external carotid artery (ECA) detected on carotid duplex ultrasound (CDU) is of unknown clinical significance and may not be reported in routine clinical practice. We hypothesize that ECA plaque in the absence of plaque in the other cervical vessels is a risk factor for increased all-cause mortality.

Objectives:

To determine the significance of ECA plaque on all-cause mortality in the absence of internal carotid artery (ICA) or common carotid artery (CCA) plaque.

Methods:

We queried the Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory database for all CDUs performed between 1 January 2005 and 31 December 2005. All images were reviewed for the presence of plaque. Studies were included if plaque was absent in both the CCA and the ICA. Chart review was performed to obtain demographic and clinical information. All-cause mortality was determined using the Social Security Death Index.

Results:

A total of 500 patient studies met the inclusion criteria; 64 patients (12.8%) had plaque in one or both ECAs. There was no significant difference in age (mean 58.1 ± 14.8 years), race (82.5% white), or sex (64.4% male) between those with and without ECA plaque. There was a significant difference in all-cause mortality between patients with and without isolated ECA plaque after adjustment for age, sex, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking, hypertension, body mass index, and surgery within 30 days of CDU (adjusted hazard ratio 2.60, 95% CI 1.46–4.66, p<0.001).

Conclusions:

The presence of plaque isolated to the ECA is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and may impart important prognostic information for patients referred for CDU.

Modified low density lipoprotein and lipoprotein-containing circulating immune complexes as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of atherosclerosis and type 1 diabetes macrovascular disease

In atherosclerosis; blood low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are subjected to multiple enzymatic and non-enzymatic modifications that increase their atherogenicity and induce immunogenicity. Modified LDL are capable of inducing vascular inflammation through activation of innate immunity; thus, contributing to the progression of atherogenesis. The immunogenicity of modified LDL results in induction of self-antibodies specific to a certain type of modified LDL. The antibodies react with modified LDL forming circulating immune complexes. Circulating immune complexes exhibit prominent immunomodulatory properties that influence atherosclerotic inflammation. Compared to freely circulating modified LDL; modified LDL associated with the immune complexes have a more robust atherogenic and proinflammatory potential. Various lipid components of the immune complexes may serve not only as diagnostic but also as essential predictive markers of cardiovascular events in atherosclerosis. Accumulating evidence indicates that LDL-containing immune complexes can also serve as biomarker for macrovascular disease in type 1 diabetes.

Carotid intima-media thickness and plaque in cardiovascular risk assessment

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has been shown to predict cardiovascular (CV) risk in multiple large studies. Careful evaluation of CIMT studies reveals discrepancies in the comprehensiveness with which CIMT is assessed-the number of carotid segments evaluated (common carotid artery [CCA], internal carotid artery [ICA], or the carotid bulb), the type of measurements made (mean or maximum of single measurements, mean of the mean, or mean of the maximum for multiple measurements), the number of imaging angles used, whether plaques were included in the intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement, the report of adjusted or unadjusted models, risk association versus risk prediction, and the arbitrary cutoff points for CIMT and for plaque to predict risk. Measuring the far wall of the CCA was shown to be the least variable method for assessing IMT. However, meta-analyses suggest that CCA-IMT alone only minimally improves predictive power beyond traditional risk factors, whereas inclusion of the carotid bulb and ICA-IMT improves prediction of both cardiac risk and stroke risk. Carotid plaque appears to be a more powerful predictor of CV risk compared with CIMT alone. Quantitative measures of plaques such as plaque number, plaque thickness, plaque area, and 3-dimensional assessment of plaque volume appear to be progressively more sensitive in predicting CV risk than mere assessment of plaque presence. Limited data show that plaque characteristics including plaque vascularity may improve CV disease risk stratification further. IMT measurement at the CCA, carotid bulb, and ICA that allows inclusion of plaque in the IMT measurement or CCA-IMT measurement along with plaque assessment in all carotid segments is emerging as the focus of carotid artery ultrasound imaging for CV risk prediction.

The Carotid intima-media thickness modification following atorvastatin is bound to the modification of the oxidative balance

BACKGROUND

Despite the reduction in cholesterol (CH) levels, the modification of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is not evident in all the patients treated with statins. Activities other than CH reduction may determine the improvement in CIMT.

METHODS

Twenty-two patients with hypercholesterolemia (aged 45-60; males) with CIMT increase started the treatment with atorvastatin. The CIMT (via echography), CH level, and the oxidative balance (OB) were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks. The OB consisted of the determination of the plasmatic hydroperoxides (reactive oxygen metabolites [d-ROMs] test) and the antioxidant reserve (plasma antioxidants test [PAT]). The d-ROMs/CH and PAT/CH ratios allowed to measure, respectively, the oxidative index (OI) and the protective index (PI). The OI/PI ratio represented the OB Risk Index (OBRI) to be compared with the CIMT modifications.

RESULTS

An average reduction of 22% in CH was achieved in the group of patients together with an increase in both OI and PI (16% and 39% respectively) with a significant improvement in OBRI from 2.6 to 1.7 (analysis of variance P < .01). A reduction of >20% in CIMT was obtained in 10 patients whereas in the 12 patients no modification of CIMT was detected, despite the same CH reduction (-55 ± 24.8 and -66 ± 27.1 mg/dL respectively; P > .05). Only those patients with a decrease in OBRI ≥0.8 showed a reduction in CIMT >20%.

CONCLUSIONS

In this preliminary study, a significant modification in CIMT was obtained with atorvastatin treatment only in those patients showing an improvement in the OB (OBRI > 0.8).

Carotid ultrasound is useful for the cardiovascular risk stratification of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results of a population-based study

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the use of carotid ultrasonography (US) may improve the stratification of the cardiovascular (CV) risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

A set of 370 consecutive patients without history of CV events were studied to assess carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and plaques. As previously proposed, CV risk was calculated according to the modified EULAR systematic coronary risk evaluation (mSCORE) for RA that was adapted by the application of a multiplier factor of 1.5 in those patients fulfilling ≥ 2 of 3 specific criteria.

RESULTS

The mean disease duration was 9.8 years, 250 (68%) had rheumatoid factor/anticyclic citrullinated peptide positivity and 61 (17%) extra-articular manifestations. 43 were excluded because they had type 2 diabetes mellitus or severe chronic kidney disease. CV risk was categorised in the remaining 327 RA patients according to the mSCORE: mild (96 cases; 29.3%), moderate (201; 61.5%) and high/very high risk (30; 9.2%). Only five patients were reclassified as having high/very high CV risk when the mSCORE was applied. Severe carotid US abnormalities (cIMT >0.90 mm and/or plaques) were uncommon in patients with low mSCORE (13%). Nevertheless, in patients with moderate mSCORE, severe carotid US abnormalities were observed in 63% of cases. A model that included a chart mSCORE risk ≥ 5% plus the presence of severe carotid US findings in patients with moderate mSCORE risk (≥ 1% and <5%) yielded high sensitivity for high/very high CV risk (93 (95% CI 88 to 96)).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the use of carotid US in the assessment of CV risk in patients with RA.

Atherosclerotic plaques occur in absence of intima-media thickening in both systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus: a duplexsonography study of carotid and femoral arteries and follow-up for cardiovascular events

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study was (1) to determine the usefulness of intima-media thickness (IMT) in contrast to plaque assessment, (2) to examine the value of additive femoral artery sonography and (3) to identify potential risk factors for atherosclerosis and incident cardiovascular events in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

METHODS

In this study, 90 SSc and 100 SLE patients were examined by duplexsonography. IMT was measured in common carotid and common femoral arteries, plaques were assessed in common, internal and external carotid and common, proximal superficial and deep femoral arteries. Different definitions of pathological IMT (pIMT) were compared with the presence of plaque. Results were evaluated in relation to traditional and non-traditional risk factors for baseline atherosclerosis (logistic regression) and their predictive value for cardiovascular events during follow-up (cox regression).

RESULTS

Definite atherosclerosis occurred frequently without signs of subclinical atherosclerosis in both diseases: pIMT >0.9 mm was present in only 17/59 (28.9%) SSc and 13/49 (26.5%) SLE patients with already present atherosclerotic plaques. Using age-adjusted pIMT definitions, this rate was even lower (5.1-10.3% in SSc, 14.3-26.5% in SLE). Plaques were located only at the carotid or only at the femoral arteries in 26 (13.7%) and 24 (12.6%) patients, respectively. Age and nicotine pack-years were independently associated with atherosclerotic plaques in SLE and SSc patients, as well as the cumulative prednisolone dose in SSc subgroup, and ssDNA positive SLE patients had a lower risk for atherosclerotic plaque. During follow-up (available for 129/190 (67.9%) patients, 650 person-years), cardiovascular events occurred more often in patients with coronary heart disease (adjusted-hazards ratio (HR) 10.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.04 to 34.17, P <0.001), male patients (adjusted-HR 8.78, 95% CI 2.73 to 28.19, P <0.001) and in patients with coexistent carotid and femoral plaques (adjusted-HR 5.92, 95% CI 1.55 to 22.67, P = 0.009). Patients with solely carotid or femoral plaque were not at higher risk.

CONCLUSION

Atherosclerotic plaque lesions can be found frequently in absence of intima-media thickening in both SSc and SLE patients. As well as routine sonography of carotid arteries, the sonography of femoral arteries is recommended to identify additional atherosclerotic lesions and to detect patients at a high risk for cardiovascular events.

Carotid intima-media thickness: Current evidence, practices, and Indian experience

As the developed and developing nations cope up with increasing predisposition to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by adopting lifestyle changes the burden of coronary artery disease continues to rise globally. The presence of modifiable risk factors, which account for more than 90% of the cardiovascular (CV) risk, cannot always be interpreted as the presence of atherosclerotic heart disease and absence of modifiable risk factors do not guarantee absence of atherosclerotic changes in the arterial tree. Increasing awareness about primordial prevention and primary prevention of CVD is of vital importance in such scenarios. Ultrasonographic measurement of intima media thickness has been reported as a procedure to detect the early stages of atherosclerosis. Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) testing is a safe, noninvasive and cost effective method to detect early atherosclerotic vascular diseases. This method of CV risk evaluation drew attention worldwide and of Indian physicians because of its feasibility in Indian population. Hence, detection and management of atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals will go a long way in preventing atherosclerotic diseases and prolonging survival and improving quality of life.

Predicting coronary heart disease: from Framingham Risk Score to ultrasound bioimaging

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death and disabling disease. Whereas risk factors are well known and constitute therapeutic targets, they are not useful for prediction of risk of future myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. Therefore, methods to identify atherosclerosis itself have been tested and found useful (ie, coronary calcium detection by computed tomography scanning, reduction in ankle-brachial index, and ultrasound scanning of the carotid arteries). This review will focus on the latter technique. Detection of thickened carotid intima-media by ultrasound has been used in many large epidemiological studies, but although it has been found to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death, its clinical utility is limited. Detection of carotid plaque has, on the other hand, been found to be associated with a substantial risk of future events. Similarly, detection of plaque in the femoral arteries is associated with increased risk, and plaque in the femoral as well as carotid arteries predicts even higher risk. Furthermore, quantification of plaque size (plaque area), such as quantification of amount of coronary calcium on computed tomography scanning, improves predictability-the larger the plaques, the higher the risk. So far, studies using ultrasound all have been performed with 2-dimensional ultrasound imaging. Recently, 3-dimensional ultrasound imaging has been introduced, which allows for more accurate quantification of atherosclerosis. Small studies pioneering its use have indicated the utility of measuring changes in vessel-wall volume and plaque volume with respect to treatment effect. The High-Risk Plaque Initiative BioImage Study is currently investigating the predictive value of total carotid plaque volume with respect to prediction of future cardiovascular events.

The prognostic value of peripheral artery diseases in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Hypothesis. To evaluate the clinical and prognostic role of haemodynamically insignificant stenosis of the extracranial arteries (ECA) and lower extremity arteries (LEA) among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Patients and Methods. The study sample consisted of 423 patients with STEMI who were consecutively admitted to the Kemerovo Cardiological Centre. Results. The prevalence of polyvascular diseases (PVD), as defined by an increased intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery or by stenosis of the ECA or LEA, was 95%. Among patients with ECA or LEA, the case fatality rate of those with stenosis with occlusion of less than 30% of the vessel lumen was 5.7%, whereas the case fatality rate among patients with stenosis with occlusion of more than 30% of the vessel lumen was 15.1% (χ² = 13.68, P = 0.003). Using the GRACE score model, together with the determination of additional factors (congestive heart failure, PVD, prior stroke, and smoking status), we developed an improved model (KemScore) for death risk stratification for a 12-month period. The value of the AUC for our model (KemScore) was 0.83 (95% CI = 0.76–0.90), which was significantly higher than the initial GRACE score value of 0.71 (95% CI = 0.63–0.79).

Carotid intima-media thickness testing as an asymptomatic cardiovascular disease identifier and method for making therapeutic decisions

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Although current therapies can reduce the risk for CVD, they are only given to patients who are considered to be at risk, and are therefore only beneficial if a patient's risk is accurately predicted before he or she sustains a cardiovascular (CV) event. Unfortunately, even relatively accurate risk factor analyses, such as the Reynolds Risk Score algorithm, fail to identify some patients who will sustain a CV event within 10 years. In contrast, the presence of an atheroma is an absolute predictor for the potential of an atherothrombotic event to occur, and it is therefore reasonable to anchor clinical decisions based on this knowledge. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) testing via B-mode ultrasound is a safe, simple, and inexpensive method for evaluating CV risk by measuring the combined thickness of the intimal and medial layers of the arterial wall. Use of CIMT testing can also detect marked thickening of the arterial wall, possibly indicating plaques or atheromas that are associated with accelerated atherosclerotic disease and increased risk for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and stroke. These characteristics make CIMT a practical supplemental method that physicians can use when making decisions. Moreover, the ability of CIMT testing to identify and quantify atherosclerotic disease has led to the adoption of CIMT as a surrogate endpoint in clinical trials, allowing the efficacy of new drugs to be assessed much more rapidly than would be possible by focusing solely on CV event or mortality rates. To date, several trials have provided evidence to indicate that some CVD therapies slow, stop, or reverse the progression of CIMT. Although many of these studies show that changes in CIMT predict future CV events, the value of CIMT testing in CVD risk assessment is still vigorously debated. In this article, we clarify the utility of CIMT testing for risk classification and reexamine its usefulness as a method for assessing therapeutic efficacy.

SCORE and REGICOR function charts underestimate the cardiovascular risk in Spanish patients with rheumatoid arthritis

INTRODUCTION

Our objective was to determine which one of the two function charts available in Spain to calculate cardiovascular (CV) risk, Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) or Framingham-REgistre GIroní del COR (REGICOR), should be used in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

A series of RA patients seen over a one-year period without history of CV events were assessed. SCORE, REGICOR, modified (m)SCORE and mREGICOR according to the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations were applied. Carotid ultrasonography (US) was performed. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) > 0.90 mm and/or carotid plaques were used as the gold standard test for severe subclinical atherosclerosis and high CV risk (US+). The area under the receiver operating curves (AUC) for the predicted risk for mSCORE and mREGICOR were calculated according to the presence of severe carotid US findings (US+).

RESULTS

We included 370 patients (80% women; mean age 58.9 ± 13.7 years); 36% had disease duration of 10 years or more; rheumatoid factor (RF) and/or anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) were positive in 68%; and 17% had extra-articular manifestations. The EULAR multiplier factor was used in 122 (33%) of the patients. The mSCORE was 2.16 ± 2.49% and the mREGICOR 4.36 ± 3.46%. Regarding US results, 196 (53%) patients were US+. The AUC mSCORE was 0.798 (CI 95%: 0.752 to 0.844) and AUC mREGICOR 0.741 (95% CI; 0.691 to 0.792). However, mSCORE and mREGICOR failed to identify 88% and 91% of US+ patients. More than 50% of patients with mSCORE ≥1% or mREGICOR >1% were US+.

CONCLUSIONS

Neither of these two function charts was useful in estimating CV risk in Spanish RA patients.

Low Bone Mass is Associated with Increased Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Osteoporosis and atherosclerosis share common risk factors and the association of low bone mass with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been demonstrated in some studies. Nevertheless, most studies have been focused on women and only a few on individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The measurement of carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT) is able to detect early atherosclerotic changes and is a predictive marker of cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to assess the CIMT and its relationship with bone mineral density (BMD) (in the femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS)) in men with T2DM. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 24 men with T2DM (aged 61 ± 6.4 years) and evaluated metabolic factors, bone densitometry values, and CIMT measured using B-mode Logic-E ultrasound machine. More than 5 years since the diagnosis of T2DM had passed in 75% of the patients, 41.6% were in statin use, mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.1 ± 3.4 kg/m², abdominal circumference (AC) 97.8 ± 8.4 cm, systolic blood pressure (SBP) 143.8 ± 18.3 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 85.8 ± 12.3 mmHg, HbA_1C 7.5% ± 1.3%, Triglycerides 141.7 ± 73 mg/dL, LDL-cholesterol 103.3 ± 35.9 mg/dL, HDL-cholesterol 41.6 ± 11.6 mg/dL. The patients were stratified into groups according to BMD. The group with normal BMD at FN had mean CIMT of 0.7 mm and the group with low bone mass (osteopenia or osteoporosis) had CIMT of 0.86 mm (P = 0.007). In addition, there were no significant differences between groups regarding age, duration of T2DM, BMI, AC, SBP, DBP, statin use, smoking, HbA_1C, cholesterol, or triglycerides. Our data demonstrate a negative association between BMD at the FN and CIMT in type 2 diabetic men, which was unrelated to the traditional risk factors for atherosclerotic disease and degree of diabetes control.

Effect of carotid plaque screening using contrast-enhanced ultrasound on cardiovascular risk stratification

Cardiovascular risk stratification of asymptomatic patients is based on the assessment of risk factors. Noninvasive imaging of subclinical atherosclerosis may improve cardiovascular risk stratification, especially in patients with co-morbidities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of the carotid arteries on cardiovascular risk assessment. The study population consisted of 100 consecutive asymptomatic patients with ≥1 clinical risk factor for atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular risk was estimated by calculating the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster Heart Study (PROCAM) risk score. This score was divided into 3 subgroups: low (≤5%), intermediate (6% to 19%), and high (≥20%). Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was assessed using standard ultrasound for intima-media thickness and plaque screening and CEUS for additional plaque screening. CEUS was performed using SonoVue contrast agent. Patients with subclinical atherosclerosis were considered to be at high cardiovascular risk. McNemar's test was used to compare PROCAM score to ultrasound findings. The mean PROCAM risk score was 9 ± 10; the PROCAM risk score was low in 72 patients (72%), intermediate in 17 patients (17%), and high in 11 patients (11%). A total of 21 patients (21%) had abnormal carotid intima-media thickness, 77% had plaques on conventional carotid ultrasound, and 88% had plaques on standard carotid ultrasound combined with CEUS. Detection of atherosclerosis led to the reclassification of 79 patients (79%) to high cardiovascular risk (p <0.001). In conclusion, CEUS changes the risk category as estimated by a traditional risk stratification model in most asymptomatic patients. CEUS may thus be an additional method for cardiovascular risk prediction in patient groups with co-morbidities.

Long term prognostic value of subclinical carotid and femoral arterial wall lesions in patients with ST-elevation-myocardial infarction having percutaneous coronary intervention

The presence of clinical peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is associated with an increased risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. However, there are few data regarding the impact of the presence and degree of the subclinical PAD on outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease. The aim of this study was to assess prospectively the grade of subclinical PAD in the setting of patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention for the prediction of intermediate- and long-term clinical outcomes. A total of 971 consecutive patients without histories of clinical PAD who under went primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were included in a prospective follow-up. Subclinical PAD severity was blindly assessed on the basis of an ultrasound arterial morphologic classification defined with the assessment of wall carotid and femoral artery bifurcations. This classification included 4 increasing classes of subclinical carotid and femoral arterial wall lesions, and the total group was divided accordingly. Death and major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events were evaluated. During a median follow-up period of 40 months, a total of 109 patients (11.2%) died, 9 (2.8%) in class I, 12 (3.1%) in class II, 37 (23.7%) in class III, and 51 (49.0%) in class IV (p <0.001). On multivariate analysis, mortality in class IV was sevenfold higher (hazard ratio [HR] 7.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.3 to 16.33, p <0.001) compared to class I and was also increased in class III (HR 5.38, 95% CI 2.42 to 11.92, p <0.001). Similar results were obtained for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in class IV (HR 7.50, 95% confidence interval 5.36 to 10.50, p <0.0001), class III (HR 6.44, 95% CI 4.45 to 9.32, p <0.001), and class II (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.43, p = 0.002). In conclusion, ultrasound arterial morphologic classification may be applied in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention and can stratify patients for poor clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up.

Carotid intima-media thickness for cardiovascular risk assessment: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

B-mode ultrasound measurement of the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a widely used marker for atherosclerosis and is associated with future cardiovascular events. This article provides a review and meta-analysis of the published evidence on the association of CIMT with future cardiovascular events and its additional value to traditional cardiovascular risk prediction models.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the association of CIMT with future cardiovascular events and the additional value of CIMT to traditional cardiovascular risk prediction models was conducted. The association of CIMT with future cardiovascular events and the additional value of CIMT were calculated using random effects analysis.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 1196 articles of which 15 articles provided sufficient data for the meta-analysis. A 1 SD increase in CIMT was predictive for myocardial infarction (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.20-1.31) and for stroke (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.26-1.36). A 0.1 mm increase in CIMT was predictive for myocardial infarction (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12-1.18) and for stroke (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.15-1.21). The overall performance of risk prediction models did not significantly increase after addition of CIMT data. The areas under the curve increased from 0.726 to 0.729 (p = 0.8).

CONCLUSIONS

CIMT as measured by B-mode ultrasound is associated with future cardiovascular events. However, the addition of CIMT to traditional cardiovascular risk prediction models does not lead to a statistical significantly increase in performance of those models.

Joint associations of 61 genetic variants in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes with subclinical atherosclerosis in American Indians: a gene-family analysis

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in all American populations, including American Indians. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Although a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) may explain only a small portion of variability in disease, the joint effect of multiple variants in a pathway on disease susceptibility could be large.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Using a gene-family analysis, we investigated the joint associations of 61 tag SNPs in 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes with subclinical atherosclerosis, as measured by carotid intima-media thickness and plaque score, in 3665 American Indians from 94 families recruited by the Strong Heart Family Study (SHFS). Although multiple SNPs showed marginal association with intima-media thickness and plaque score individually, only a few survived adjustments for multiple testing. However, simultaneously modeling of the joint effect of all 61 SNPs in 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor genes revealed significant association of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene family with both intima-media thickness and plaque score independent of known coronary risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Genetic variants in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor gene family jointly contribute to subclinical atherosclerosis in American Indians who participated in the SHFS. These variants may influence the susceptibility of atherosclerosis through pathways other than cigarette smoking per se.

Association between conventional risk factors and different ultrasound-based markers of atherosclerosis at carotid and femoral levels in a middle-aged population

Ultrasound detection of sub-clinical atherosclerosis (ATS) may help identify individuals at high cardiovascular risk. Most studies evaluated intima-media thickness (IMT) at carotid level. We compared the relationships between main cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and five indicators of ATS (IMT, mean and maximal plaque thickness, mean and maximal plaque area) at both carotid and femoral levels. Ultrasound was performed on 496 participants aged 45-64 years randomly selected from the general population of the Republic of Seychelles. 73.4 % participants had ≥ 1 plaque (IMT thickening ≥ 1.2 mm) at carotid level and 67.5 % at femoral level. Variance (adjusted R2) contributed by age, sex and CVRF (smoking, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes) in predicting any of the ATS markers was larger at femoral than carotid level. At both carotid and femoral levels, the association between CVRF and ATS was stronger based on plaque-based markers than IMT. Our findings show that the associations between CVRF and ATS markers were stronger at femoral than carotid level, and with plaque-based markers rather than IMT. Pending comparison of these markers using harder cardiovascular endpoints, our findings suggest that markers based on plaque morphology assessed at femoral artery level might be useful cardiovascular risk predictors.

Subclinical atherosclerosis as a risk factor of cardiovascular events

Subclinical atherosclerosis is an initial, latent stage of chronic progressing arterial inflammation. Destabilisation of asymptomatic, hemodynamically non-significant atherosclerotic plaques (AP) could lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, or sudden death. Since the assessment of AP stability is problematic in real-world clinical settings, the risk stratification should, at least, account for the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. In 600 ambulatory patients from the Moscow City Western Administrative Okrug who had low and moderate SCORE-assessed cardiovascular risk levels, the prevalence of AP, based on the duplex carotid ultrasound results, was 59% (n=358). Presently, no standard guidelines exist on cardiovascular risk stratification which would include the assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis, despite the importance of the latter as a prognostic factor. Large clinical studies on prognosis in patients with subclinical atherosclerosis will clarify the role of this parameter as an independent cardiovascular risk factor and facilitate the development of respective clinical recommendations.

Carotid ultrasound in the cardiovascular risk stratification of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: when and for whom?

Adequate stratification of cardiovascular (CV) risk is one of the major points of interest in the management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A task force of the European League Against Rheumatism has proposed to adapt CV risk management calculated in RA patients according to the systematic coronary risk evaluation (SCORE) function by application of a multiplier factor of 1.5 in those patients with two of the following three criteria: disease duration >10 years, rheumatoid factor (RF) or anticyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody positivity, and presence of severe extra-articular manifestations. However, a major concern when using the modified SCORE is to know whether the effect of chronic inflammation on the CV risk of RA patients can be fully determined using this tool. As increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques have been proved to predict the development of CV events in RA, the authors suggest performing carotid ultrasound when SCORE does not yield results indicating high CV risk in RA patients with extra-articular manifestations, RF or anti-CCP positivity as well as in patients with 10 years disease duration or longer. The presence of abnormal carotid IMT (>0.90 mm) or carotid plaques would lead to these patients being considered as having high CV risk regardless of the results derived from the modified SCORE.