Predicting Long-Term Absence of Coronary Artery Calcium in Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes: The MESA Study

Association between obstructive coronary disease and diabetic retinopathy: Cross-sectional study of coronary angiotomography and multimodal retinal imaging

AIMS

To investigate the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and coronary artery disease (CAD) using coronary angiotomography (CCTA) and multimodal retinal imaging (MMRI) with ultra-widefield retinography and optical coherence tomography angiography and structural domain.

METHODS

Single-center, cross-sectional, single-blind. Patients with diabetes who had undergone CCTA underwent MMRI. Uni and multivariate analysis were used to assess the association between CAD and DR and to identify variables independently associated with DR.

RESULTS

We included 171 patients, 87 CAD and 84 non-CAD. Most CAD patients were males (74 % vs 38 %, P < 0.01), insulin users (52 % vs 38 %, p < 0.01) and revascularized (64 %). They had a higher prevalence of DR (48 % vs 22 %, p = 0.01), microaneurysms (25 % vs 13 %, p = 0.04), intraretinal cysts (22 % vs 8 %, p = 0.01) and areas of reduced capillary density (46 % vs 20 %, p < 0.01). CAD patients also had lower mean vascular density (MVD) (15.7 % vs 16.5,%, p = 0.049) and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) circularity (0.64 ± 0.1 vs 0.69 ± 0.1, p = 0.04). There were significant and negative correlations between Duke coronary score and MVD (r = -0.189; p = 0.03) and FAZ circularity (r = -0,206; p = 0.02). CAD, DM duration and insulin use independently associated with DR.

CONCLUSIONS

CAD patients had higher prevalence of DR and lower MVD. CAD, DM duration and insulin use were independently associated with DR.

Cardiac troponins and coronary artery calcium score: a systematic review

An early diagnosis of atherosclerosis, particularly in subclinical status, can play a remarkable role in reducing mortality and morbidity. Because of coronary artery calcification (CAC) nature in radiation exposure, finding biomarkers associated with CAC could be useful in identifying individuals at high risk of CAC score. In this review, we focused on the association of cardiac troponins (hs-cTns) and CAC to achieve insight into the pathophysiology of CAC. In October 2022, we systematically searched Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Embase databases to find human observational studies which have investigated the association of CAC with cardiac troponins. To appraise the included articles, we used the Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS). Out of 520 records, 10 eligible studies were included. Based on findings from longitudinal studies and cross-sectional analyses, troponin T and I were correlated with occurrence of CAC and its severity. Two of the most important risk factors that affect the correlation between hs-cTns serum levels and CAC were age and gender. The elevation of cardiac troponins may affect the progression of CAC and future cardiovascular diseases. Verifying the association between cardiac troponins and CAC may lead to identify individuals exposed to enhanced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications and could establish innovative targets for pharmacological therapy.

Nontraditional Risk Markers for Incident Coronary Artery Calcium Among Persons ≥65 Years of Age

Background

The initiation of coronary artery calcium (CAC) is an important physiologic milestone associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk. However, traditional risk factors (RF) do not perform well for predicting incident CAC among the 54 million older U.S. adults.

Objectives

The authors sought to assess the association between nontraditional cardiovascular disease RF and incident CAC in older persons.

Methods

There were 815 MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) participants ≥65 years of age who had CAC = 0 at Visit 1 and a follow-up CAC scan. Multivariable adjusted Cox hazards ratios (aHR) and C-statistics were calculated to examine the association of nontraditional RF with incident CAC.

Results

The mean age was 70.2 years and 67% were women. The median follow-up time to repeat CAC scan was 3.6 years (IQR: 2.6-9.2 years) and 45% of participants developed incident CAC. Albuminuria (aHR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.07-2.09), carotid plaque (aHR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.04-1.66), and thoracic aortic calcification (TAC) (aHR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.10-1.75) were significantly associated with incident CAC, while higher levels of nontraditional RF including apolipoprotein-B, lipoprotein(a), high-sensitivity troponin T, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide were not. When added to demographics, albuminuria, carotid plaque, and TAC provided a greater C-statistic improvement (+0.047, P = 0.004) vs all traditional RF combined (+0.033, P = 0.05).

Conclusions

Among nontraditional RF and measures of subclinical atherosclerosis, only albuminuria, carotid plaque, and TAC were significantly associated with incident CAC in persons ≥65 years of age. Identification of albuminuria or extracoronary atherosclerosis may help guide the timing of repeat CAC scoring in older persons with baseline CAC = 0.

Predictors of long-term absence of coronary artery calcium in individuals with high blood pressure: results from the MESA study

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Individuals with high blood pressure (BP) have varying risks of cardiovascular events due to other coexisting factors. We aimed to identify the predictors of long-term absence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) in individuals with high BP, which is an indicator of healthy arterial aging and can guide preventive strategies.

METHODS

We analyzed data from participants with high BP (≥120/80 mm Hg) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who had baseline CAC = 0 and underwent a second CAC scanning after 10 years. We used multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between various risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and long-term CAC = 0. We also calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) to predict the phenotype of healthy arterial aging in this population.

RESULTS

We included 830 participants (37.6% male, mean ± SD age of 59.4 ± 8.7 years). During follow-up, 46.5% of participants (n = 386) had CAC = 0, and they were younger and had fewer metabolic syndrome components. Adding ASCVD risk factors to the demographic model (age, sex, and ethnicity) moderately increased the predictive value for long-term CAC = 0 (AUC: demographic model + ASCVD risk factors vs. demographic model alone, 0.653 vs. 0.597, p < .001; category net reclassification improvement = 0.104, p = .044; integrated discrimination improvement = 0.040, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

In individuals with high BP and initial CAC = 0, over 40% maintained CAC = 0 during a 10-year follow-up, which was associated with fewer ASCVD risk factors. These findings may have implications for preventive strategies in individuals with high BP.Clinical Trial registration number: The MESA was registered at clinical trials. gov as NCT00005487.KEY MESSAGESNearly half (46.5%) of individuals with high blood pressure (BP) maintained a long-term absence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) during a 10-year follow-up, and this was associated with a 66.6% lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events compared to those who developed incident CAC.Individuals with high BP, who are usually assumed to have an increased risk of ASCVD, exhibit significant heterogeneity in their ASCVD risk; those who maintain CAC = 0 have a lower ASCVD risk.Adding overall ASCVD risk factors to demographic information resulted in a moderate improvement in predicting long-term CAC = 0.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk stratification and management in type 2 diabetes: review of recent evidence-based guidelines

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Accordingly, several scientific societies have released clinical practice guidelines to assist health professionals in ASCVD risk management in patients with T2DM. However, some recommendations differ from each other, contributing to uncertainty about the optimal clinical management of patients with T2DM and established ASCVD or at high risk for ASCVD. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to discuss recent evidence-based guidelines on ASCVD risk stratification and prevention in patients with T2DM, in terms of disparities and similarities. To close the gap between different guidelines, a multidisciplinary approach involving general practitioners, endocrinologists, and cardiologists may enhance the coordination of diagnosis, therapy, and long-term follow-up of ASCVD in patients with T2DM.

Explainable machine learning framework for predicting long-term cardiovascular disease risk among adolescents

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, over 80% of it is preventable through early intervention and lifestyle changes. Most cases of CVD are detected in adulthood, but the risk factors leading to CVD begin at a younger age. This research is the first to develop an explainable machine learning (ML)-based framework for long-term CVD risk prediction (low vs. high) among adolescents. This study uses longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of individuals who participated in the Add Health study. A total of 14,083 participants who completed relevant survey questionnaires and health tests from adolescence to young adulthood were chosen. Four ML classifiers [decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and deep neural networks (DNN)] and 36 adolescent predictors are used to predict adulthood CVD risk. While all ML models demonstrated good prediction capability, XGBoost achieved the best performance (AUC-ROC: 84.5% and AUC-PR: 96.9% on testing data). Besides, critical predictors of long-term CVD risk and its impact on risk prediction are obtained using an explainable technique for interpreting ML predictions. The results suggest that ML can be employed to detect adulthood CVD very early in life, and such an approach may facilitate primordial prevention and personalized intervention.

Association between triglyceride glucose index, coronary artery calcification and multivessel coronary disease in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome

Background

Multivessel coronary disease (MVCD) is the common type of coronary artery disease in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Coronary artery calcification (CAC) has been confirmed the strong predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Several studies have validated that triglyceride glucose (TyG) index can reflect the degree of coronary calcification or predict MACEs. However, no evidence to date has elucidated and compared the predictive intensity of TyG index or/and coronary artery calcification score (CACS) on multi-vascular disease and MACEs in ACS patients.

Methods

A total of 935 patients, diagnosed with ACS and experienced coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) from August 2015 to March 2022 in the Second Hospital of Shandong University, were selected for retrospective analysis. The subjects were divided into TyG index quartile 1–4 groups (Q1-Q4 groups), non-multivessel coronary disease (non-MVCD) and multivessel coronary disease (MVCD) groups, respectively. The general data, past medical or medication history, laboratory indicators, cardiac color Doppler ultrasound, CACS, and TyG indexes were respectively compared among these groups. The ROC curve preliminarily calculated and analyzed the diagnostic value of TyG index, CACS, and the combination of the two indicators for MVCD. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis discriminated the independent hazard factors for forecasting MVCD.

Results

Compared with the lower TyG index and non-MVCD groups, the higher TyG index and MVCD groups had higher values of age, smoking history, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin, and CACS, but lower values of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) (all P < 0.01). Coronary artery calcification is more common in the left anterior descending artery. Compared with non-MVCD, each unit increase in TyG index was associated with a 1.213-fold increased risk of MVCD. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders indicated that TyG index is an independent risk factor for MVCD. With the increase of TyG index, the incidence of MACEs, apart from all-cause death, cardiac death, unexpected re-hospitalization of heart failure, recurrent ACS or unplanned revascularization, and non-fatal stroke in coronary artery increased (P log-rank < 0.001).

Conclusion

TyG index could completely substitute for CACS as a reliable, practical, and independent indicator for predicting the severity and prognosis of MVCD in patients with ACS.

Coronary Artery Calcium for Risk Stratification of Sudden Cardiac Death: The Coronary Artery Calcium Consortium

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is a marker of plaque burden. Whether CAC improves risk stratification for incident sudden cardiac death (SCD) beyond atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

SCD is a common initial manifestation of coronary heart disease (CHD); however, SCD risk prediction remains elusive.

METHODS

The authors studied 66,636 primary prevention patients from the CAC Consortium. Multivariable competing risks regression and C-statistics were used to assess the association between CAC and SCD, adjusting for demographics and traditional risk factors.

RESULTS

The mean age was 54.4 years, 33% were women, 11% were of non-White ethnicity, and 55% had CAC >0. A total of 211 SCD events (0.3%) were observed during a median follow-up of 10.6 years, 91% occurring among those with baseline CAC >0. Compared with CAC = 0, there was a stepwise higher risk (P trend < 0.001) in SCD for CAC 100 to 399 (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR]: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.6-5.0), CAC 400 to 999 (SHR: 4.0; 95% CI: 2.2-7.3), and CAC >1,000 (SHR: 4.9; 95% CI: 2.6-9.9). CAC provided incremental improvements in the C-statistic for the prediction of SCD among individuals with a 10-year risk <7.5% (ΔC-statistic = +0.046; P = 0.02) and 7.5% to 20% (ΔC-statistic = +0.069; P = 0.003), which were larger when compared with persons with a 10-year risk >20% (ΔC-statistic = +0.01; P = 0.54).

CONCLUSIONS

Higher CAC burden strongly associates with incident SCD beyond traditional risk factors, particularly among primary prevention patients with low-intermediate risk. SCD risk stratification can be useful in the early stages of CHD through the measurement of CAC, identifying patients most likely to benefit from further downstream testing.

Coronary Artery Calcium Score directed risk stratification of patients with Type-2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study aimed to review the available data on the role of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring as the preferred adjunct modality to improve risk prediction and reduce the incidence of major adverse cardiac events and mortality in T2DM patients.

METHODS

We reviewed the findings of 21 studies.

RESULTS

This study revealed that the CAC scoring system could enhance cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification and positively affect the medical management of patients with T2DM.

CONCLUSION

A CAC scoring approach is necessary to reduce the incidence and prevalence of preventable CVD events in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Subclinical cardiovascular disease and utility of coronary artery calcium score

ASCVD are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among Globe. Evaluation of patients' comprehensive and personalized risk provides risk management strategies and preventive interventions to achieve gain for patients. Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Systemic Coronary Risk Evaluation Score (SCORE) are two well studied risk scoring models, however, can miss some (20-35%) of future cardiovascular events. To obtain more accurate risk assessment recalibrating risk models through utilizing novel risk markers have been studied in last 3 decades and both ESC and AHA recommends assessing Family History, hs-CRP, CACS, ABI, and CIMT. Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease (SCVD) has been conceptually developed for investigating gradually progressing asymptomatic development of atherosclerosis and among these novel risk markers it has been well established by literature that CACS having highest improvement in risk assessment. This review study mainly selectively discussing studies with CACS measurement. A CACS = 0 can down-stratify risk of patients otherwise treated or treatment eligible before test and can reduce unnecessary interventions and cost, whereas CACS ≥ 100 is equivalent to statin treatment threshold of ≥ 7.5% risk level otherwise statin ineligible before test. Since inflammation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, dyslipidemia and ongoing endothelial damage due to hypertension could lead to CAC, ASCVD linked with comorbidities. Recent cohort studies have shown a CACS 100-300 as a sign of increased cancer risk. Physical activity, dietary factors, cigarette use, alcohol consumption, metabolic health, family history of CHD, aging, exposures of neighborhood environment and non-cardiovascular comorbidities can determine CACs changes.

Effect of glycemic control on markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A review

Cardiovascular disease is the predominant cause of death in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Evidence suggests a strong association between duration and degree of hyperglycemia and vascular disease. However, large trials failed to show cardiovascular benefit after intensive glycemic control, especially in patients with longer diabetes duration. Atherosclerosis is a chronic and progressive disease, with a long asymptomatic phase. Subclinical atherosclerosis, which is impaired in T2DM, includes impaired vasodilation, increased coronary artery calcification (CAC), carotid intima media thickness, arterial stiffness, and reduced arterial elasticity. Each of these alterations is represented by a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, offering a cost-effective alternative compared to classic cardiac imaging. Their additional use on top of traditional risk assessment strengthens the predictive risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD). We, herein, review the existing literature on the effect of glycemic control on each of these markers separately. Effective glycemic control, especially in earlier stages of the disease, attenuates progression of structural markers like intima-media thickness and CAC. Functional markers are improved after use of newer anti-diabetic agents, such as incretin-based treatments or sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors, especially in T2DM patients with shorter disease duration. Larger prospective trials are needed to enhance causal inferences of glycemic control on clinical endpoints of CAD.

Discordantly normal ApoB relative to elevated LDL-C in persons with metabolic disorders: A marker of atherogenic heterogeneity

Objective

A significant proportion of persons with metabolic syndrome (MetS), prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes (T2D) do not develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).We sought to determine whether discordantly normal apolipoprotein B (ApoB) relative to elevated LDL-C may help to explain heterogeneity in ASCVD risk among persons with metabolic disorders.

Methods

There were 278 Bogalusa Heart Study participants with MetS (n=95), prediabetes (n=233), or T2D (n=31) and LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL who were free of carotid plaque at baseline (2001-02) and underwent carotid ultrasound at follow-up (2013-16). Multivariable modified Poisson regression estimated the long-term absence of carotid plaque for lower ApoB, continuously and categorically.

Results

Participants were on average 36.1 years old at baseline, 61.5% were women, and 31.7% were black. A total of 50.7% had discordantly normal ApoB (<90 mg/dL) and the mean ApoB and LDL-C concentrations were 91.6 mg/dL and 137.7 mg/dL, respectively. In addition to having higher HDL-C and lower triglyceride values, individuals with ApoB <90 were more likely to maintain persistent absence of plaque compared to those with ApoB ≥90 (73.1% versus 58.4%, p=0.01). Contrastingly, there was no significant difference in the proportion of individuals who remained free of plaque with increasing LDL-C (p=0.45). Independent of traditional risk factors including LDL-C, each 10 mg/dL lower ApoB (RR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19) and ApoB <90 (RR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.00-1.43) were significantly associated with the persistent absence of carotid plaque.

Conclusions

One-half of young persons with metabolic disorders and elevated LDL-C had discordantly normal ApoB and a low burden of carotid atherosclerosis over 13 years, suggesting that ApoB better represents the atherogenic lipid burden compared to LDL-C in this patient population. These results suggest a utility for assessing whether routine ApoB measurement can improve ASCVD risk stratification in young persons with metabolic disorders who have high triglycerides and low HDL-cholesterol.

Early Contributors to Healthy Arterial Aging Versus Premature Atherosclerosis in Young Adults: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Background

Early identification of healthy arterial aging versus premature atherosclerosis is important for optimal atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk stratification and prevention. We sought to identify predictors for the long‐term absence of carotid plaque among young adults.

Methods and Results

We included 508 participants from the Bogalusa Heart Study without clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who were free of carotid plaque at baseline (2001–2002) and underwent ultrasound imaging at follow‐up (2013–2016). Modified Poisson regression estimated the persistent absence of plaque over 12.8 years. Participants were on average age 36.2 years at baseline, 64% were women, and 29% were Black. Although nearly all participants (97%) had a 10‐year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk <7.5%, there were 162 people (32%) who developed premature atherosclerosis. Aside from younger age (risk ratio [RR], 1.21; 95% CI, 1.07–1.36, per 10 years) and a total cholesterol/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio <3.5 (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01–1.30), normal values of traditional risk factors did not predict long‐term absence of plaque. Independent from traditional markers including glomerular filtration rate, serum calcium‐phosphate product (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.01–1.14, per 1‐SD lower), phosphate (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03–1.29, per 1 mg/dL lower), and dietary sodium <2300 mg/day (RR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02–1.41) were significantly associated with the non‐development of plaque.

Conclusions

Nearly one third of young adults with a low burden of traditional risk factors developed premature atherosclerosis. Beyond younger age and an ideal lipoprotein profile, lower calcium‐phosphate homeostasis and low sodium intake were associated with long‐term absence of carotid plaque. These results suggest that dietary and intrinsic minerals are early contributors to the development of arterial aging phenotypes.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events among statin eligible individuals with and without long-term healthy arterial aging

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A large proportion of statin eligible candidates have a baseline absence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) and low 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. We sought to determine the proportion of statin eligible individuals who had long-term healthy arterial aging (persistent CAC = 0) and their examined 15-year ASCVD outcomes.

METHODS

We included 561 statin eligible candidates from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were not on statin therapy with CAC = 0 at Visit 1 (2000-02) and underwent a subsequent CAC scan at Visit 5 (2010-11). Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression assessed the association between persistent CAC = 0 and ASCVD events over 15.9 years.

RESULTS

Participants were on average 61.7 years old, 50% were women, and 43% maintained long-term CAC = 0. Individuals with an LDL-C ≥190 mg/dL (54%) and those with an ASCVD risk ≥20% (33%) had the highest and lowest proportion of persistent CAC = 0, respectively. There were 57 ASCVD events, and 15-year ASCVD event rates were low for individuals with and without healthy arterial aging (4.3 versus 8.6 per 1,000 persons-years), but the 10-year number needed to treat to prevent one ASCVD event differed by more than two fold (117 versus 54). In multivariable modeling, persistent CAC = 0 conferred a 51% lower risk of ASCVD compared to those with incident CAC (HR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.27-0.90, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

More than 40% of statin eligible individuals with baseline CAC = 0 had long-term healthy arterial aging. Statin eligible candidates with persistent CAC = 0 had a very low 15-year ASCVD risk, suggesting that statin therapy may be of limited benefit among this group of individuals.