1
|
Guo F, Chen X, Niu Z, Karim R, Gauderman WJ, McConnell R, Yan M, Whitfield L, Li Y, Bastain TM, Breton CV, Hodis HN, Farzan SF. Carotid Artery Wall Echogenicity Measured by Gray Scale Median of the Intima-Media Complex From Childhood to Young Adulthood. J Am Heart Assoc 2024; 13:e034821. [PMID: 39101497 DOI: 10.1161/jaha.124.034821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Echogenicity of the carotid arterial wall, measured by gray scale median of the intima-media complex (IM-GSM), is a novel subclinical atherosclerosis marker with lower values indicating greater lipid deposition. Our longitudinal study investigated IM-GSM from childhood to adulthood and its associated risk factors. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 240 participants from the Southern California CHS (Children's Health Study) underwent carotid artery ultrasounds in 2008 (mean age±SD): (11.2±0.6 years), and again around 2022 (24.2±1.6 years) to assess IM-GSM, carotid artery intima-media thickness, and carotid artery distensibility. Questionnaires and anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were completed by participants at both times. Mean and SD of IM-GSM were 108.2±24.6 in childhood and 75.6±15.8 in adulthood. Each 1-year increase in age was associated with -2.52 change in IM-GSM (95% CI, -2.76 to -2.27). Childhood and adulthood IM-GSMs were highly correlated (β=0.13 [95% CI, 0.05-0.22]). In childhood, Hispanic ethnicity, lower parental education levels and prenatal father smoking were significantly associated with lower IM-GSM. In adulthood, higher systolic blood pressure, carotid artery intima-media thickness, hypertension, and lower distensibility were significantly associated with lower IM-GSM. Weight status exhibited a consistent association with both childhood and adulthood IM-GSM. During the transition from childhood to adulthood, individuals who shifted from normal weight to overweight/obese or normal blood pressure to hypertension or experienced an increase in carotid artery intima-media thickness displayed lower levels of IM-GSM in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS IM-GSM decreases with age. Maintaining healthy weight and blood pressure levels in children could potentially aid in preventing subclinical atherosclerosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fangqi Guo
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Xinci Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Zhongzheng Niu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Roksana Karim
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Mingzhu Yan
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Lora Whitfield
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Yanjie Li
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Theresa M Bastain
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Carrie V Breton
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Howard N Hodis
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Shohreh F Farzan
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Frigerio B, Coggi D, Bonomi A, Amato M, Capra N, Colombo GI, Sansaro D, Ravani A, Savonen K, Giral P, Gallo A, Pirro M, Gigante B, Eriksson P, Strawbridge RJ, Mulder DJ, Tremoli E, Veglia F, Baldassarre D. Determinants of Carotid Wall Echolucency in a Cohort of European High Cardiovascular Risk Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of IMPROVE Baseline Data. Biomedicines 2024; 12:737. [PMID: 38672093 PMCID: PMC11154292 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12040737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Echolucency, a measure of plaque instability associated with increased cardiovascular risk, can be assessed in both the carotid plaque and the plaque-free common carotid intima-media (IM) complex as a gray-scale median (plaque-GSM and IM-GSM, respectively). The impact of specific vascular risk factors on these two phenotypes remains uncertain, including the nature and extent of their influence. This study aims to seek the determinants of plaque-GSM and IM-GSM. Plaque-GSM and IM-GSM were measured in subjects from the IMPROVE study cohort (aged 54-79, 46% men) recruited in five European countries. Plaque-GSM was measured in subjects who had at least one IMTmax ≥ 1.5 mm (n = 2138), whereas IM-GSM was measured in all subjects included in the study (n = 3188). Multiple regression with internal cross-validation was used to find independent predictors of plaque-GSM and IM-GSM. Plaque-GSM determinants were plaque-size (IMTmax), and diastolic blood pressure. IM-GSM determinants were the thickness of plaque-free common carotid intima-media complex (PF CC-IMTmean), height, systolic blood pressure, waist/hip ratio, treatment with fibrates, mean corpuscular volume, treatment with alpha-2 inhibitors (sartans), educational level, and creatinine. Latitude, and pack-yearscode were determinants of both plaque-GSM and IM-GSM. The overall models explain 12.0% of plaque-GSM variability and 19.7% of IM-GSM variability. A significant correlation (r = 0.51) was found between plaque-GSM and IM-GSM. Our results indicate that IM-GSM is a weighty risk marker alternative to plaque-GSM, offering the advantage of being readily measurable in all subjects, including those in the early phases of atherosclerosis where plaque occurrence is relatively infrequent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Frigerio
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Daniela Coggi
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Alice Bonomi
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Mauro Amato
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Nicolò Capra
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Gualtiero I. Colombo
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Daniela Sansaro
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Alessio Ravani
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
| | - Kai Savonen
- Foundation for Research in Health Exercise and Nutrition, Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine, 70100 Kuopio, Finland;
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, 70210 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Philippe Giral
- INSERM, Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Cardiovasculaires, le Métabolisme et la Nutrition, ICAN, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France; (P.G.); (A.G.)
- Lipidology and Cardiovascular Prevention Unit, Department of Nutrition, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Antonio Gallo
- INSERM, Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Cardiovasculaires, le Métabolisme et la Nutrition, ICAN, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France; (P.G.); (A.G.)
- Lipidology and Cardiovascular Prevention Unit, Department of Nutrition, APHP, Sorbonne Université, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Matteo Pirro
- Internal Medicine, Angiology and Arteriosclerosis Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06129 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Bruna Gigante
- Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Karolinska University Hospital, 17177 Solna, Sweden; (B.G.); (P.E.); (R.J.S.)
| | - Per Eriksson
- Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Karolinska University Hospital, 17177 Solna, Sweden; (B.G.); (P.E.); (R.J.S.)
| | - Rona J. Strawbridge
- Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Karolinska University Hospital, 17177 Solna, Sweden; (B.G.); (P.E.); (R.J.S.)
- School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TB, UK
- Health Data Research UK, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK
| | - Douwe J. Mulder
- Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Elena Tremoli
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, 48033 Cotignola, Italy; (E.T.); (F.V.)
| | - Fabrizio Veglia
- Maria Cecilia Hospital, GVM Care & Research, 48033 Cotignola, Italy; (E.T.); (F.V.)
| | - Damiano Baldassarre
- Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS, 20138 Milan, Italy; (B.F.); (D.C.); (A.B.); (M.A.); (N.C.); (G.I.C.); (D.S.); (A.R.)
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20129 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Karim R, Xu W, Kono N, Li Y, Yan M, Stanczyk FZ, Hodis HN, Mack WJ. Comparison of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Between 2 Subclinical Atherosclerosis Measures in Healthy Postmenopausal Women: Carotid Artery Wall Thickness and Echogenicity: Carotid Artery Wall Thickness and Echogenicity. JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE 2023; 42:35-44. [PMID: 35388917 PMCID: PMC9537358 DOI: 10.1002/jum.15985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) is a widely used determinant of subclinical atherosclerosis, gray-scale median of the intima-media complex (IM-GSM) of the common carotid artery is a relatively novel measure of echogenicity reflecting composition of the arterial wall. It is important to compare cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor correlates across CIMT and IM-GSM to determine whether these measures reflect distinct aspects of atherosclerosis. METHODS Baseline information from a completed randomized clinical trial of 643 healthy postmenopausal women without clinically apparent CVD was included in this cross-sectional study. The women were on average ± SD 61 ± 7 years old, and predominantly non-Hispanic White. CIMT and IM-GSM were measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonogram in the far wall of the right common carotid artery. CVD risk factors including age, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking, weekly hours of physical activity, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), lipids, glucose, and inflammatory markers were measured at baseline. Linear regression models were used to assess associations of CVD risk factors with CIMT and IM-GSM. Multivariable models included groups of risk factors added one at a time with and withoutbasic demographic factors (age, race, BMI, physical activity) with model R2 values compared between CIMT and IM-GSM. RESULTS In multivariable analysis, age, Black race, BMI, SBP, and DBP were associated with CIMT (all P < .05), whereas age, Hispanic race, BMI, SBP, physical activity, LDL-cholesterol, and leptin were correlates of IM-GSM (all P < .05). Adjusted for age, race, BMI, and physical activity, the R2 value for SBP was greater for CIMT association, whereas R2 values for lipids, glucose, inflammatory markers, and adipokines were greater for IM-GSM associations. CONCLUSIONS CIMT and IM-GSM assess different attributes of subclinical atherosclerosis. Integrating both measures may provide improved assessment of atherosclerosis in asymptomatic individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roksana Karim
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Wenrui Xu
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Naoko Kono
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yanjie Li
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Mingzhu Yan
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Frank Z Stanczyk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Howard N Hodis
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Wendy J Mack
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Golemati S, Yanni A, Tsiaparas NN, Lechareas S, Vlachos IS, Cokkinos DD, Krokidis M, Nikita KS, Perrea D, Chatziioannou A. CurveletTransform-Based Texture Analysis of Carotid B-mode Ultrasound Images in Asymptomatic Men With Moderate and Severe Stenoses: A Preliminary Clinical Study. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2022; 48:78-90. [PMID: 34666918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The curvelet transform, which represents images in terms of their geometric and textural characteristics, was investigated toward revealing differences between moderate (50%-69%, n = 11) and severe (70%-100%, n = 14) stenosis asymptomatic plaque from B-mode ultrasound. Texture features were estimated in original and curvelet transformed images of atheromatous plaque (PL), the adjacent arterial wall (intima-media [IM]) and the plaque shoulder (SH) (i.e., the boundary between plaque and wall), separately at end systole and end diastole. Seventeen features derived from the original images were significantly different between the two groups (4 for IM, 3 for PL and 10 for SH; 9 for end diastole and 8 for end systole); 19 of 234 features (2 for IM and 17 for SH; 8 for end systole and 11 for end diastole) derived from curvelet transformed images were significantly higher in the patients with severe stenosis, indicating higher magnitude, variation and randomness of image gray levels. In these patients, lower body height and higher serum creatinine concentration were observed. Our findings suggest that (a) moderate and severe plaque have similar curvelet-based texture properties, and (b) IM and SH provide useful information about arterial wall pathophysiology, complementary to PL itself. The curvelet transform is promising for identifying novel indices of cardiovascular risk and warrants further investigation in larger cohorts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Spyretta Golemati
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | - Amalia Yanni
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos N Tsiaparas
- Biomedical Simulations and Imaging Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Symeon Lechareas
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ioannis S Vlachos
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Miltiadis Krokidis
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina S Nikita
- Biomedical Simulations and Imaging Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Despina Perrea
- Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li Y, Kwong DLW, Wu VWC, Yip SP, Law HKW, Lee SWY, Ying MTC. Computer-assisted ultrasound assessment of plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis. Quant Imaging Med Surg 2021; 11:2292-2306. [PMID: 34079702 DOI: 10.21037/qims-20-1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Background This study investigated the feasibility of using a computer-assisted method to evaluate and differentiate the carotid plaque characteristics in radiation-induced and non-radiation-induced carotid atherosclerosis. Methods This study included 107 post-radiotherapy (post-RT) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and 110 subjects with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Each participant had a carotid ultrasound examination, and carotid plaques and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were evaluated with grey scale ultrasound. The carotid plaque characteristics were evaluated for grey-scale median (GSM) and detailed plaque texture analysis (DPTA) using specific computer software. In DPTA, five different intra-plaque components were colour-coded according to different grey scale ranges. A multivariate linear regression model was used to evaluate the correlation of risk factors and carotid plaque characteristics. Results Post-RT NPC patients have significantly higher CIMT (748±15.1 µm, P=0.001), more patients had a plaque formation (80.4%, P<0.001) and more plaque locations (2.3±0.2, P<0.001) than CVRF subjects (680.4±10.0 µm, 38.2% and 0.5±0.1 respectively). Among the five intra-plaque components, radiation-induced carotid plaques had significantly larger area of calcification (4.8%±7.7%, P=0.012), but lesser area of lipid (42.1%±16.9%, P=0.034) when compared to non-radiation-induced carotid plaques (3.0%±5.7% and 46.3%±17.9% respectively). Age, radiation and number of CVRF were significantly associated with the carotid atherosclerosis burden (P<0.001). Besides, age was significantly associated with the amount of lipid and calcification within carotid plaques (P<0.001). Conclusions Radiation caused more severe carotid artery disease than CVRF with larger CIMT and more prevalent of carotid plaque. Radiation-induced carotid plaques tended to have more intra-plaque calcifications, whereas non-radiation-induced carotid plaques had more lipids. Ultrasound aided by computer-assisted image analysis has potential for more accurate assessment of carotid atherosclerosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanxi Li
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dora Lai-Wan Kwong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China
| | - Vincent Wing-Cheung Wu
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shea-Ping Yip
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Helen Ka-Wai Law
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shara Wee-Yee Lee
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Michael Tin-Cheung Ying
- Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Stenudd I, Sjödin E, Nyman E, Wester P, Johansson E, Grönlund C. Ultrasound risk marker variability in symptomatic carotid plaque: impact on risk reclassification and association with temporal variation pattern. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2020; 36:1061-1068. [PMID: 32144637 PMCID: PMC7228988 DOI: 10.1007/s10554-020-01801-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Ultrasound examinations of atherosclerotic carotid plaques can be used to calculate risk markers associated with plaque vulnerability. Recent studies demonstrate significant inter-frame variability in risk markers. Here, we investigate risk marker variability in symptomatic plaques and its impact on reclassification of plaque vulnerability, as well as its association with the shape of the temporal variation over the cardiac cycle. Methods 56 patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis were included in this study. 88 plaques were identified and the plaque risk markers size (area), echogenicity (gray scale median, GSM) and heterogeneity (coarseness) were measured in all frames of ultrasound B-mode image sequences. Inter-frame variability was quantified using the coefficient of variation (CV). Results Inter-frame variabilities of the risk markers were area CV 5–8%; GSM CV 4–7%; coarseness CV 8–15% and was in general significantly lower in large as compared to smaller plaques. The variability in GSM risk marker caused a reclassification of vulnerability in 30 to 38% of the plaques. Temporal variations in GSM with a heart rate periodic or drift/trending pattern were found in smaller plaques (< 26 mm2), whereas random pattern was found in larger plaques. In addition, hypoechoic plaques (GSM < 25) were associated with cyclic variation pattern, independent of their size. Conclusions Risk marker variability causes substantial reclassification of plaque vulnerability in symptomatic patients. Inter-frame variation and its temporal pattern should be considered in the design of future studies related to risk markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isak Stenudd
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.
| | | | - Emma Nyman
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Per Wester
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Elias Johansson
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, 901 87, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Christer Grönlund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering R&D, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nyman E, Vanoli D, Näslund U, Grönlund C. Inter-sonographer reproducibility of carotid ultrasound plaque detection using Mannheim consensus in subclinical atherosclerosis. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2019; 40:46-51. [PMID: 31605665 DOI: 10.1111/cpf.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To determine the inter-sonographer reproducibility of carotid ultrasound plaque detection using Mannheim consensus in a subclinical population and evaluate associations related to the reproducibility. METHODS AND RESULTS Bilateral ultrasound screening for carotid plaques defined by Mannheim consensus was performed on 106 subclinical participants. Two different sonographers scanned the same participant, and reproducibility of plaque detection was measured by Cohens kappa. Associations with reproducibility were evaluated by comparing wall, and plaque characteristics between subjects with plaques identified in one and both scans. In general, the inter-sonographer reproducibility of plaque detection was substantial with a kappa value of 0·70 (95% CI 0·60-0·80). Plaques detected in only one scan had significantly lower plaque area and plaque thickness (6·82 mm2 and 1·45 mm) as compared to plaques detected in both scans (11·65 mm2 and 1·96 mm, P<0·001). CONCLUSION Minor carotid plaques contribute to decreased reproducibility as compared to large plaques when screening for subclinical atherosclerosis using Mannheim consensus. Using an alternative plaque definition based on plaque thickness >1.5 mm and plaque area >10 mm2 could increase the reproducibility of plaque detection in subclinical atherosclerosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Nyman
- Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Davide Vanoli
- Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulf Näslund
- Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Christer Grönlund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering R&D, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nyman E, Lindqvist P, Näslund U, Grönlund C. Risk Marker Variability in Subclinical Carotid Plaques Based on Ultrasound is Influenced by Cardiac Phase, Echogenicity and Size. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:1742-1750. [PMID: 29735317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Identification of risk markers based on quantitative ultrasound texture analysis of carotid plaques has the ability to define vulnerable components that correlate with increased cardiovascular risk. However, data describing factors with the potential to influence the measurement variability of risk markers are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of electrocardiogram-guided image selection, plaque echogenicity and area on carotid plaque risk markers and their variability in asymptomatic carotid plaques. Plaque risk markers were measured in 57 plaques during three consecutive heartbeats at two cardiac cycle time instants corresponding to the electrocardiogram R-wave (end diastole) and end of T-wave (end systole), resulting in six measurements for each plaque. Risk marker variability was quantified by computing the coefficient of variation (CV) across the three heartbeats. The CV was significantly higher for small plaques (area <15 mm2, 10%) than for large plaques (area >15 mm2, 6%) (p < 0.001) in measurements of area, and the CV for measurements of gray-scale median were higher for echolucent plaques (<40, 15%) than for echogenic plaques (>40, 9%) (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found between systole and diastole for the mean of any risk marker or the corresponding CV value. However, in a sub-analysis, the echolucent plaques were found to have a higher CV during systole compared with diastole. The variability also caused plaque type reclassification in 16% to 25% of the plaques depending on cutoff value. The results of this study indicate that echolucent and small plaques each contribute to increased risk marker variability. Based on these results, we recommend that measurements in diastole are preferred to reduce variation, although we found that it may not be possible to characterize small plaques accurately using contemporary applied risk markers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Nyman
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Per Lindqvist
- Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulf Näslund
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Christer Grönlund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Biomedical Engineering R&D, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jashari F, Ibrahimi P, Johansson E, Grönlund C, Wester P, Henein MY. Carotid IM-GSM is better than IMT for identifying patients with multiple arterial disease. SCAND CARDIOVASC J 2018; 52:93-99. [PMID: 29402147 DOI: 10.1080/14017431.2018.1435903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Atherosclerosis is a systemic inflammatory disease that can affect more than one arterial bed simultaneously. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between ultrasound markers of atherosclerosis and multiple arterial disease. DESIGN We have included 87 currently asymptomatic carotid disease patients (mean age 69 ± 6 year, 34% females) in this study. Intima media thickness (IMT) and intima media-grey scale median (IM-GSM) were measured in the common carotid artery (CCA), and correlated with previous and/or current atherosclerotic vascular disease in the coronary, carotid and lower extremities. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) asymptomatic, (2) previous symptoms in one arterial territory and (3) previous symptoms in multiple arterial territories. RESULTS Patients with previous disease in the coronary arteries had higher IMT (p = .034) and lower IM-GSM (p < .001), and those with prior stroke had lower IM-GSM (p = .007). Neither IMT nor IM-GSM was different between patients with and without previous lower extremity vascular disease. IM-GSM was significantly different between groups, it decreased significantly with increasing number of arterial territories affected (37.7 ± 15.4 vs. 29.3 ± 16.4 vs. 20.7 ± 12.9) p < .001, for asymptomatic, symptoms in one and in multiple arterial systems, respectively. Conventional IMT was not significantly different between groups p = .49. CONCLUSION Carotid IMT was higher and IM-GSM lower in patients with symptomatic nearby arterial territories but not in those with peripheral disease. In contrast to conventional IMT, IM-GSM can differentiate between numbers of arterial territories affected by atherosclerosis, suggesting that it is a better surrogate for monitoring multiple arterial territory disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fisnik Jashari
- a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Pranvera Ibrahimi
- a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Elias Johansson
- a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden.,b Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Christer Grönlund
- c Department of Biomedical Engineering-Radiation Sciences , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| | - Per Wester
- a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden.,d Department of Clinical Sciences , Danderyds Hospital, Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Michael Y Henein
- a Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine , Umeå University , Umeå , Sweden
| |
Collapse
|