Assessment of Aortic Atherosclerosis and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

The present study investigated the relationship between aortic atherosclerosis and carotid atherosclerosis, and studied the effects of coronary risk factors for these arteries. The subjects consisted of 78 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and 69 patients without CAD. All subjects underwent enhanced computed tomography and B-mode ultrasonography within a short time period to determine the extent of aorta and carotid atherosclerosis. Significant correlations between maximal aortic wall thickness (MAWT) and aortic wall volume (AWV) with carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were demonstrated. MAWT, AWV and IMT were significantly higher in patients with CAD compared with controls (p=0.009, p=0.024, p=0.001, respectively). Furthermore, there were significant differences in MAWT, AWV and IMT among groups classified by the number of coronary artery stenoses, and no significant differences among groups classified by risk factors, but it was shown that MAWT, AWV and IMT increased gradually as the risk factors increased in number. MAWT, AWV and IMT had positive correlations with age, systolic blood pressure and triglyceride, and a negative correlation with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol. This study demonstrated that both aortic atherosclerosis and carotid atherosclerosis are closely correlated with coronary atherosclerosis, and that the atherosclerosis indices are independently associated with age and hyperlipidemia.

In Vivo Echocardiographic Detection of Cardiovascular Lesions in Apolipoprotein E-Knockout Mice Using a Novel High-Frequency High-Speed Echocardiography Technique.

“…Enhanced computed tomography can visualize atherosclerotic changes in humans, 13 but is difficult to use for mice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be a promising technique for assessing the murine heart; 14, 15 Fayad et al reported noninvasive in vivo high-resolution MRI with a high field magnet (9.4 T) of atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-KO mice, 16 but no information was provided about the morphological and functional changes of the thoracic aorta, aortic valve or heart.…”

Risk Factors for Stiffness of the Wall of the Thoracic Aorta in Patients With Mild Atherosis.

“…[24][25][26] With regard to aortic stiffness, it has been the TG level, not TC or LDL-C levels, that has been associated with decreased common carotid arterial distensibility in healthy non-diabetic middleaged women. 27 Furthermore, previous reports have shown that in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, severe dyslipidemia can lead to impairment of the elastic properties of the aorta before the clinical manifestation of atherosclerosis.…”

Noninvasive Ultrasound Techniques for the Assessment of Atherosclerosis in Coronary Artery Disease

“…The IMT of the carotid, aortic, femoral and brachial arteries were significantly higher in patients with CAD compared with controls, [41][42][43] and moreover, the IMT of the common carotid artery is increased in older subjects with asymptomatic myocardial ischemia as evidenced by exercise ECG alone or in combination with thallium scan. Thus, it has been suggested that carotid US may help to identify asymptomatic individuals with CAD.…”