Carotid Intraplaque Hemorrhage Is Associated with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 355-360
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Larson ◽  
Waleed Brinjikji ◽  
Luis E. Savastano ◽  
John Huston III ◽  
John C. Benson

Introduction: Intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) is a known predictor of symptomatic cervical carotid artery disease. However, the association between IPH and modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, patient demographics, and pertinent laboratory values has not been extensively studied. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of consecutive patients who have undergone dedicated carotid plaque imaging over a 3-year period. Patients were excluded if the MR examination did not include high-resolution carotid plaque imaging. Intraplaque hyperintense signal on carotid plaque images was presumed to represent IPH. The presence or absence of IPH was compared to various demographic and clinical variables. Multivariable regression analysis was performed in order to determine an independent association between variables and IPH. Results: Of 643 included patients, 114 patients (17.7%) had IPH in one or both carotids, 529 patients (82.3%) did not; 39.5% of patients with IPH had coronary artery disease compared to 23.1% of patients without (p = 0.0003). Patients with IPH also had higher proportions of hypertension (77.2 vs. 60.7%, p = 0.009), hyperlipidemia (HLD; 89.5 vs. 62.4%, p < 0.0001), diabetes mellitus (29.0 vs. 18.7%, p = 0.01), and a history of tobacco smoking (63.2 vs. 52.6%, p = 0.003). Patients without IPH had, on average, higher high-density lipoprotein levels (46.1 vs. 56.7%, p = 0.003). Factors independently associated with IPH were advanced age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.1, 95% CI: [1.0–1.05], p <0.0001), male sex (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: [1.4–4.4], p = 0.0001), presence of carotid stenosis (OR: 8.4, 95% CI: [4.6–15.3], p < 0.0001), and HLD (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: [1.3–5.2], p = 0.009). Conclusions: IPH is associated with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, in particular advanced age, male sex, presence of carotid stenosis, and HLD. Such risk factors likely play a role in the development of IPH and may provide insight into the pathophysiology of unstable carotid plaques.

VASA ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giannoukas ◽  
Sfyroeras ◽  
Griffin ◽  
Saleptsis ◽  
Antoniou ◽  
...  

Background: Severity of stenosis remains the main factor for assessing risk of stroke in patients with internal carotid artery (ICA) disease. This study was conducted to investigate the association of plaque echostructure and other established and emerging cardiovascular risk factors with symptomatic ICA disease. Design: Cross-sectional study of consecutive patients with significant (> 50 %) ICA stenosis. Patients and methods: Carotid plaque echostructure, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, serum lipoprotein (a), homocysteine, vitamin B12, folate, cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein ratio, triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and the Framingham risk score were assessed in 124 consecutive patients (70 asymptomatic; 54 symptomatic) with significant (> 50 %) ICA stenosis. Results: The asymptomatic and symptomatic groups did not differ in terms of gender distribution (p = 0.76) and severity of stenosis (p = 0.62). Echolucent plaques (type 1 and 2) were more predominant in patients with symptomatic disease (p = 0.004, OR = 2.13, 95 % CI = 1.26-3.6). Patients with plaques type 1 were relatively younger than those with type 4 (p = 0.02). None of the other factors assessed had any significant association with symptomatic disease and any type of carotid plaque. Conclusions: Besides the severity of carotid stenosis, the presence of an echolucent plaque appears as an important factor associated with symptomatic ICA disease. Also, young patients are more likely to have an echolucent plaque suggesting an age-related association with plaque maturation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Kolossvary ◽  
E.K Fishman ◽  
G Gerstenblith ◽  
D.A Bluemke ◽  
R.N Mandler ◽  
...  

Abstract Background/Introduction Cross-sectional studies are inconsistent on the potential independent adverse effects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection on coronary artery disease (CAD). Furthermore, there is no information on the potential effects of HIV-infection on plaque volumes. Also, only the independent effects of HIV-infection on CAD have been investigated. Purpose In a prospective longitudinal observational cohort, we wished to assess whether HIV-infection accelerates CAD independently, or by acting in synergistic fashion with conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors to accelerate disease progression as assessed by clinical and volumetric parameters of CAD on coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Methods Overall, 300 asymptomatic individuals without cardiovascular symptoms but with CCTA-confirmed coronary plaques (210 males, age: 48.0±7.2 years) with or without HIV (226 HIV-infected) prospectively underwent CCTA at two time points (mean follow-up: 4.0±2.3 years). Agatston-score, number of coronary plaques, segment stenosis score were calculated, and we also segmented the coronary plaques to enumerate total, noncalcified (−100–350HU) and calcified (≥351HU) plaque volumes. Linear mixed models were used to assess the effects of HIV-infection, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk, years of cocaine use and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein on CCTA markers of CAD. Results In univariate analysis, there was no significant difference in CAD characteristics between HIV-infected and -uninfected, neither at baseline nor at follow-up (p&gt;0.05 for all). Furthermore, there was no significant difference in annual progression rates between the two groups (p&gt;0.05 for all). By multivariate analysis, HIV was not associated with any CAD parameter (p&gt;0.05 for all). However, among HIV-infected individuals, each year of cocaine use significantly increased all CAD parameters (p&lt;0.05 for all), while ASCVD risk score was significantly associated with CAD parameters except for Agatston-score (p&lt;0.05). These associations were only present among HIV-infected individuals. Conclusion(s) Instead of directly worsening CAD, HIV may promote CAD through increased susceptibility to conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, aggressive management of both conventional and nonconventional cardiovascular risk factors is needed to reduce cardiovascular burden of HIV-infection. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 608-612
Author(s):  
Sunil S. Thanvi ◽  
Sunil K. Karna ◽  
Utsav B Patel

BACKGROUND Routine screening of healthy individuals for the presence of cardiovascular risk factors is important for identification of high-risk coronary artery disease (CAD) patients at early stage and to provide preventive care. Considering the high burden of CAD, such investigations are of significant importance in Indian context. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, adult individuals (18 – 68 years) were evaluated for pre-existing diseases, lipid profile, blood glucose profile, thyroid profile, haemoglobin (Hb) and vitamins D3 and B12 levels after obtaining informed consent. These variables were compared between patients stratified based on their gender and age (< 40, 40 – 60, > 60 years). RESULTS A total of 1,508 participants (mean age: 49 ± 11 years; 49.9 % females) were investigated. Hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, anaemia, vitamin D3 and B12 deficiencies, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism were observed in 31.2 %, 26.5 %, 32.0 %, 8.6 %, 35.3 %, 25.1 %, 21.0 % and 0.6 % of patients respectively. Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia increased with ageing, while deficiencies of Hb, vitamin D3, and vitamin B12 as well as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were comparable across all age groups. Males were more prone to hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia, while females were more prone to have Hb deficiency, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism. Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood sugar (FBS), vitamin D3, and vitamin B12 were elevated with increase in age, while Hb levels decreased. Males exhibited higher levels of TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), TC / HDL, LDL / HDL, FBS, and Hb, while females displayed higher levels of vitamin D3 and B12. CONCLUSIONS Our findings verify the role of age and gender on majority of cardiovascular risk factors. The high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is alarming and demands the need for appropriate health-care measures. KEYWORDS Age, Coronary Artery Disease, Gender, Risk Factor


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Recio-Mayoral ◽  
Justin C Mason ◽  
Juan C Kaski ◽  
Michael B Rubens ◽  
Olivier A Harari ◽  
...  

Premature coronary atherosclerosis, which is actually seen as an active inflammatory process, is an established complication of systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We hypothesized that exposure to chronic inflammation, even in the absence of classical cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), could result in coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), an early marker of coronary atherosclerosis. By means of positron emission tomography in combination with oxygen-15 labeled water, myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured at rest and during iv adenosine infusion (140 μg/kg/min) in 13 SLE and 12 RA patients (mean [±SD] age 44±10 years) without CVRF. All patients underwent coronary angiography using multi-slice (64 slices) computed tomography and only those with none or trivial coronary artery disease (<30% luminal stenosis) were included. A group of 25 age- and gender-matched controls were also studied. There were no differences between patients and controls regarding body-mass index, blood pressure and lipid parameters. RA and SLE patients showed similar mean disease duration (16±11 and 11±7 years, respectively; p=0.12). Resting MBF was similar in patients and controls (1.25±0.27 vs 1.15±0.24 ml/min/g, p=0.15). However, during adenosine stress patients had lower MBF compared with controls (2.94±0.83 vs 4.11±0.84 ml/min/g, p<0.001). As result, coronary flow reserve (CFR; adenosine/resting MBF) was significantly reduced in patients (2.44±0.78) compared with controls (3.81±1.07; p<0.001). Seven patients showed ischemic electrocardiographic changes during adenosine and had a more severe reduction in CFR (1.76±0.81) and more years of disease (21±7 years) compared with those patients without ischemic changes (CFR 2.49±0.54; p=0.006; duration of disease 14±5 years; p=0.03). CFR was inversely correlated with years of disease (r=−0.65, p<0.001), but not with corticosteroid cumulative dose (r=0.20, p=0.39). Chronic inflammation in the absence of traditional CVRF is characterized by severe CMD. This may represent an early marker of disease which precedes and contributes to premature coronary artery disease in patients with RA and SLE.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Togashi ◽  
Jun Shirakawa ◽  
Daisuke Miyashita ◽  
Mayu Kyohara ◽  
Tomoko Okuyama ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Little is known about the association between abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among patients with diabetes. This study evaluated the cross-sectional association between AAC and CVD morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 285 inpatients with type 2 diabetes. The lateral view of an abdominal X-ray image obtained while each subject was in a standing position was examined, and the AAC score and AAC length, corresponding to the area of calcific deposits in the anterior and posterior aortic wall for the L1-4 and L1-5 regions, respectively, were measured. The associations between the AAC scores and lengths and the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebral infarction (CI), and peripheral artery disease (PAD) were then assessed. The correlation between the AAC grades and other clinical factors were also evaluated. Results: The degree of AAC was significantly correlated with a higher prevalence of CAD and CI but not PAD after adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors. The AAC score was inversely correlated with BMI, and both the AAC score and the AAC length were correlated with the Fib-4 index; these correlations persisted after adjustments for cardiovascular risk factors and BMI, although AAC was not associated with ultrasonography-diagnosed fatty liver. Conclusion: AAC is associated with CAD and CI morbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes. AAC grading also predicts the Fib-4 index, a hepatic fibrosis marker, suggesting a novel potential predictor of liver disease that is independent of cardiovascular risk factors and obesity.


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