Usefulness of carotid ultrasonography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing exercise echocardiography

BACKGROUND

Relationship between carotid and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing invasive and non-invasive test is unclear. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether carotid disease is associated with CAD in patients submitted to exercise echocardiography (EE) and if it improves the EE ability to predict CAD.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 156 subjects without previous vascular disease who underwent EE, carotid ultrasonography and coronary angiography between 2002 and 2013. Positive EE was defined as exercise induced wall motion abnormalities, carotid disease according to Manheim and American Society of Echocardiography Consensus and significant CAD as stenosis ≥50%.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine (57.1%) subjects had significant CAD. Factors associated with CAD in multivariate analysis were fasting plasma glucose (odds ratio [OR] 1.02, p = 0.031), pre-test probability of CAD > 65% (OR 3.71, p < 0.001), positive EE (OR 10.51, p < 0.001) and carotid plaque (CP) presence (OR 2.95, p = 0.013). There was neither statistical significant difference in area under the curve after addition of CP to EE results (0.77 versus 0.81, p = 0.525) nor sensitivity, specificity, predictive values or efficiency. CP presence reclassified as very high-risk according to Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation 13 patients (34.2%) with negative EE and 22 (33.3%) without CAD.

CONCLUSION

CP is associated with CAD in patients undergoing EE, however its addition to EE does not improve CAD prediction, probably due to insufficient statistical power. CP reclassified one third of patients to very high-risk category despite negative EE or CAD absence, these subjects benefit from aggressive primary prevention interventions.

Role of simultaneous carotid ultrasound in patients undergoing stress echocardiography for assessment of chest pain with no previous history of coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

We prospectively explored prevalence of carotid disease (CD), its independent association with coronary artery disease (CAD) and outcome as well as potential impact on management, in patients undergoing stress echocardiography (SE) for new onset chest pain without known CAD.

METHODS

Accordingly, 591 consecutive patients referred for SE underwent carotid ultrasound. Carotid disease was defined as carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) >75th percentile for age and sex and/or presence of plaque.

RESULTS

Myocardial ischemia was demonstrated in only a minority (11%), but there was a high prevalence of CD (70%). Incidence of CD was similar in patients with and without ischemia (76% versus 69%, P = .26). Carotid data led to reclassification of Framingham risk score categories in 65% of patients as well as more than a third of negative SE patients potentially benefitting from primary prevention therapy. Of the 83 patients undergoing coronary arteriography, 59 (71%) demonstrated coronary atherosclerosis (any atheroma) and 33 (40%) CAD. Positive predictive value of SE for CAD was 56%, but presence of carotid plaque improved it to 70%. Although both CD and plaque showed association with CAD and revascularization, after adjustment for conventional risk factors, only carotid plaque maintained significant association (P = .024 and P = .023, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

There is significantly higher prevalence of CD compared with myocardial ischemia in patients undergoing SE and carotid ultrasound for suspected CAD. This can lead to significant Framingham risk score reclassification with important primary prevention implications. Carotid plaque is superior to clinical assessment for the prediction of CAD and improves positive predictive value of SE for CAD in these patients.