Comparative differences in the atherosclerotic disease burden between the epicardial coronary arteries: quantitative plaque analysis on coronary computed tomography angiography

Age- and Sex-Specific Nomographic CT Quantitative Plaque Data From a Large International Cohort

BACKGROUND

With growing adoption of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA), there is increasing evidence for and interest in the prognostic importance of atherosclerotic plaque volume. Manual tools for plaque segmentation are cumbersome, and their routine implementation in clinical practice is limited.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to develop nomographic quantitative plaque values from a large consecutive multicenter cohort using coronary CTA.

METHODS

Quantitative assessment of total atherosclerotic plaque and plaque subtype volumes was performed in patients undergoing clinically indicated coronary CTA, using an Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Quantitative Coronary Plaque Analysis tool.

RESULTS

A total of 11,808 patients were included in the analysis; their mean age was 62.7 ± 12.2 years, and 5,423 (45.9%) were women. The median total plaque volume was 223 mm3 (IQR: 29-614 mm3) and was significantly higher in male participants (360 mm3; IQR: 78-805 mm3) compared with female participants (108 mm3; IQR: 10-388 mm3) (P < 0.0001). Total plaque increased with age in both male and female patients. Younger patients exhibited a higher prevalence of noncalcified plaque. The distribution of total plaque volume and its components was reported in every decile by age group and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors developed pragmatic age- and sex-stratified percentile nomograms for atherosclerotic plaque measures using findings from coronary CTA. The impact of age and sex on total plaque and its components should be considered in the risk-benefit analysis when treating patients. Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Quantitative Coronary Plaque Analysis work flows could provide context to better interpret coronary computed tomographic angiographic measures and could be integrated into clinical decision making.

Effects of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors on coronary atherosclerotic plaques: The PARADIGM registry

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Inhibition of Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone-System (RAAS) has been hypothesized to improve endothelial function and reduce plaque inflammation, however, their impact on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis is unclear. We aim to study the effects of RAAS inhibitor on plaque progression and composition assessed by serial coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

METHODS

We performed a prospective, multinational study consisting of a registry of patients without history of CAD, who underwent serial CCTAs. Patients using RAAS inhibitors were propensity matched to RAAS inhibitor naïve patients based on clinical and CCTA characteristics at baseline. Atherosclerotic plaques in CCTAs were quantitatively analyzed for percent atheroma volume (PAV) according to plaque composition. Interactions between RAAS inhibitor use and baseline PAV on plaque progression were assessed in the unmatched cohort using a multivariate linear regression model.

RESULTS

Of 1248 patients from the registry, 299 RAAS inhibitor taking patients were matched to 299 RAAS inhibitor naïve patients. Over a mean interval of 3.9 years, there was no significant difference in annual progression of total PAV between RAAS inhibitor naïve vs taking patients (0.75 vs 0.79%/year, p = 0.66). With interaction testing in the unmatched cohort, however, RAAS inhibitor use was significantly associated with lower non-calcified plaque progression (Beta coefficient -0.100, adjusted p = 0.038) with higher levels of baseline PAV.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of RAAS inhibitors over a period of nearly 4 years did not significantly impact on total atherosclerotic plaque progression or various plaque components. However, interaction testing to assess the differential effect of RAAS inhibition based on baseline PAV suggested a significant decrease in progression of non-calcified plaque in patients with a higher burden of baseline atherosclerosis, which should be considered hypothesis generating.

The year 2021 in the European Heart Journal—Cardiovascular Imaging: Part I

The European Heart Journal—Cardiovascular Imaging was introduced in 2012 and has during these 10 years become one of the leading multimodality cardiovascular imaging journals. The journal is currently ranked as Number 19 among all cardiovascular journals. It has an impressive impact factor of 9.130 and our journal is well established as one of the top cardiovascular journals. The most important studies published in our Journal in 2021 will be highlighted in two reports. Part I of the review will focus on studies about myocardial function and risk prediction, myocardial ischaemia, and emerging techniques in cardiovascular imaging, while Part II will focus on valvular heart disease, heart failure, cardiomyopathies, and congenital heart disease.

Plaque progression: Where, why, and how fast? A review of what we have learned from the analysis of patient data from the PARADIGM registry

Ischemic heart disease is the most common cause of mortality worldwide. The pathophysiology of myocardial infarction relates to temporal changes of atherosclerotic plaque culminating in plaque rupture, erosion or hemorrhage and the subsequent thrombotic response. Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) provides the ability to visualize and quantify plaque, and plaque progression can be measured on a per-patient basis by comparing findings of serial CCTA. The Progression of AtheRosclerotic PlAque DetermIned by Computed TomoGraphic Angiography IMaging (PARADIGM) registry was established with the objective of identifying patterns of plaque progression in a large population. The registry comprises over 2000 patients with multiple CCTA scans performed at least two years apart. Unlike previous CCTA registries, a semi-automated plaque quantification technique permitting detailed analysis of plaque progression was performed on all patients with interpretable studies. Since the registry was established, 19 peer-reviewed publications were identified, and all are reviewed and summarized in this article.

Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Stent for de novo Non-small Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Drug-coated balloon (DCB) has been an attractive option in de novo vessels. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of DCB vs. stent for treating de novo lesions in non-small vessels.

Methods: Studies in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were searched (from their commencement to March 2021). This meta-analysis was performed by Review Manager 5.3.

Results: A total of 3 random controlled trials (RCTs) with 255 patients and 2 observational studies (OS) with 265 patients were included in this meta-analysis following our inclusion criteria. It could be observed that DCB presented no significant difference in cardiac death (CD) (RR 0.33, 95% CI [0.01, 8.29], p = 0.50 in OS), myocardial infarction (MI) (RR 0.49, 95% CI [0.09, 2.50], p = 0.39 in RCT), target lesion revascularization (TLR) (RR 0.64, 95% CI [0.19, 2.18], p = 0.47 in RCT) (RR 1.72, 95% CI [0.56, 5.26], p = 0.34 in OS), and late lumen loss (LLL) (SMD −0.48, 95% CI [−1.32, 0.36], p = 0.26 in RCT) for de novo non-small coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with stents, whereas minimal lumen diameter (MLD) including MLD1 (SMD −0.67, 95% CI [−0.92 −0.42], p < 0.00001 in RCT) and MLD2 (SMD −0.36, 95% CI [−0.61 −0.11], p = 0.004 in RCT) was smaller in DCB group.

Conclusion: This systematic review showed that DCB might provide a promising way on de novo non-small coronary artery disease compared with stents. However, more RCTs are still needed to further prove the benefits of the DCB strategy.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails.

Consistency in Geometry Among Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaques Extracted From Computed Tomography Angiography

Background: The three-dimensional (3D) geometry of coronary atherosclerotic plaques is associated with plaque growth and the occurrence of coronary artery disease. However, there is a lack of studies on the 3D geometric properties of coronary plaques. We aim to investigate if coronary plaques of different sizes are consistent in geometric properties.

Methods: Nineteen cases with symptomatic stenosis caused by atherosclerotic plaques in the left coronary artery were included. Based on attenuation values on computed tomography angiography images, coronary atherosclerotic plaques and calcifications were identified, 3D reconstructed, and manually revised. Multidimensional geometric parameters were measured on the 3D models of plaques and calcifications. Linear and non-linear (i.e., power function) fittings were used to investigate the relationship between multidimensional geometric parameters (length, surface area, volume, etc.). Pearson correlation coefficient (r), R-squared, and p-values were used to evaluate the significance of the relationship. The analysis was performed based on cases and plaques, respectively. Significant linear relationship was defined as R-squared > 0.25 and p < 0.05.

Results: In total, 49 atherosclerotic plaques and 56 calcifications were extracted. In the case-based analysis, significant linear relationships were found between number of plaques and number of calcifications (r = 0.650, p = 0.003) as well as total volume of plaques (r = 0.538, p = 0.018), between number of calcifications and total volume of plaques (r = 0.703, p = 0.001) as well as total volume of calcification (r = 0.646, p = 0.003), and between the total volumes of plaques and calcifications (r = 0.872, p < 0.001). In plaque-based analysis, the power function showed higher R-squared values than the linear function in fitting the relationships of multidimensional geometric parameters. Two presumptions of plaque geometry in different growth stages were proposed with simplified geometric models developed. In the proposed models, the exponents in the power functions of geometric parameters were in accordance with the fitted values.

Conclusion: In patients with coronary artery disease, coronary plaques and calcifications are positively related in number and volume. Different coronary plaques are consistent in the relationship between geometry parameters in different dimensions.

Predicting future left anterior descending artery events from non-culprit lesions: insights from the Lipid-Rich Plaque study

AIMS

The left anterior descending (LAD) artery is the most frequently affected site by coronary artery disease. The prospective Lipid Rich Plaque (LRP) study, which enrolled patients undergoing imaging of non-culprits followed over 2 years, reported the successful identification of coronary segments at risk of future events based on near-infrared spectroscopy-intravascular ultrasound (NIRS-IVUS) lipid signals. We aimed to characterize the plaque events involving the LAD vs. non-LAD segments.

METHODS AND RESULTS

LRP enrolled 1563 patients from 2014 to 2016. All adjudicated plaque events defined by the composite of cardiac death, cardiac arrest, non-fatal myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, revascularization by coronary bypass or percutaneous coronary intervention, and rehospitalization for angina with >20% stenosis progression and reported as non-culprit lesion-related major adverse cardiac events (NC-MACE) were classified by NIRS-IVUS maxLCBI4 mm (maximum 4-mm Lipid Core Burden Index) ≤400 or >400 and association with high-risk-plaque characteristics, plaque burden ≥70%, and minimum lumen area (MLA) ≤4 mm2. Fifty-seven events were recorded with more lipid-rich plaques in the LAD vs. left circumflex and right coronary artery; 12.5% vs. 10.4% vs. 11.3%, P = 0.097. Unequivocally, a maxLCBI4 mm >400 in the LAD was more predictive of NC-MACE [hazard ratio (HR) 4.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.93-9.69); P = 0.0004] vs. [HR 2.56, 95% CI (1.06-6.17); P = 0.0354] in non-LAD segments. MLA ≤4 mm2 within the maxLCBI4 mm was significantly higher in the LAD (34.1% vs. 25.9% vs. 13.7%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Non-culprit lipid-rich segments in the LAD were more frequently associated with plaque-level events. LAD NIRS-IVUS screening may help identify patients requiring intensive surveillance and medical treatment.

Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography for Complete Assessment of Coronary Artery Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) has shown great technological improvements over the last 2 decades. High accuracy of CTA in detecting significant coronary stenosis has promoted CTA as a substitute for conventional invasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. In patients with coronary stenosis, CTA-derived physiological assessment is surrogate for intracoronary pressure and velocity wires, and renders possible decision-making about revascularization solely based on computed tomography. Computed tomography coronary anatomy with functionality assessment could potentially become a first line in diagnosis. Noninvasive imaging assessment of plaque burden and morphology is becoming a valuable substitute for intravascular imaging. Recently, wall shear stress and perivascular inflammation have been introduced. These assessments could support risk management for both primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. Anatomy, functionality, and plaque composition by CTA tend to replace invasive assessment. Complete CTA assessment could provide a 1-stop-shop for diagnosis, risk management, and decision-making on treatment.