The Role of Carotid Intimal Thickness and Plaque Imaging in Risk Stratification for Coronary Heart Disease

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go back to reference •• Lorenz MW, Schaefer C, Steinmetz H, Sitzer M. Is carotid intima media thickness useful for individual prediction of cardiovascular risk? Ten-year results from the Carotid Atherosclerosis Progression Study (CAPS). Eur Heart J 2010;31(16):2041–8. This study is a 10-year follow-up of approximately 4900 subjects and showed that although CIMT was predictive of cardiovascular endpoints, it did not consistently improve risk prediction in general population. PubMedCrossRef •• Lorenz MW, Schaefer C, Steinmetz H, Sitzer M. Is carotid intima media thickness useful for individual prediction of cardiovascular risk? Ten-year results from the Carotid Atherosclerosis Progression Study (CAPS). Eur Heart J 2010;31(16):2041–8. This study is a 10-year follow-up of approximately 4900 subjects and showed that although CIMT was predictive of cardiovascular endpoints, it did not consistently improve risk prediction in general population. PubMedCrossRef

go back to reference •• Polak JF, Pencina MJ, Pencina KM, O’Donnell CJ, Wolf PA, D’Agostino RB Sr. Carotid-wall intima-media thickness and cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med 2011;365(3):213–21. This prospective follow up of Framingham Offspring cohort for a period 7.2 years found that although both maximum internal and mean common carotid-artery intima-media thicknesses predict cardiovascular outcomes, only the maximum intima-media thickness of the internal carotid artery and presence of plaque in the internal carotid artery significantly (albeit modestly) improves the classification of risk of cardiovascular disease. PubMedCrossRef •• Polak JF, Pencina MJ, Pencina KM, O’Donnell CJ, Wolf PA, D’Agostino RB Sr. Carotid-wall intima-media thickness and cardiovascular events. N Engl J Med 2011;365(3):213–21. This prospective follow up of Framingham Offspring cohort for a period 7.2 years found that although both maximum internal and mean common carotid-artery intima-media thicknesses predict cardiovascular outcomes, only the maximum intima-media thickness of the internal carotid artery and presence of plaque in the internal carotid artery significantly (albeit modestly) improves the classification of risk of cardiovascular disease. PubMedCrossRef

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go back to reference •• Nambi V, Chambless L, He M, Folsom AR, Mosley T, Boerwinkle E, Ballantyne CM. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness is as good as carotid intima-media thickness of all carotid artery segments in improving prediction of coronary heart disease risk in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Eur Heart J 2011. This analysis of the ARIC population followed for a mean duration of 15.2 years showed that the mean of common carotid artery-IMT (CCA-IMT) + plaque information improved CHD risk prediction as well as adding mean of all segments of the carotid artery CIMT (A-CIMT) + plaque or to the traditional risk factors. •• Nambi V, Chambless L, He M, Folsom AR, Mosley T, Boerwinkle E, Ballantyne CM. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness is as good as carotid intima-media thickness of all carotid artery segments in improving prediction of coronary heart disease risk in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Eur Heart J 2011. This analysis of the ARIC population followed for a mean duration of 15.2 years showed that the mean of common carotid artery-IMT (CCA-IMT) + plaque information improved CHD risk prediction as well as adding mean of all segments of the carotid artery CIMT (A-CIMT) + plaque or to the traditional risk factors.

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