Hideki Ota1, Minako Oikawa2,
Morihiko Takeda3, Satoshi Yasuda3, Jun Takahashi3,
Yoshitaka Ito3, Yoshihiro Fukumoto3, Hiroaki Shimokawa3,
Shuichi Higano1,4, Shoki Takahashi1
1Diagnostic Radiology,
Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; 2Sendai Red
Cross Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; 3Cardiovascular Medicine,
Tohoku University Hospital, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan; 4Sendai
Radiation Oncology & Imaging Clinic, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
We evaluated whether carotid MRI plaque characteristics and/or carotid wall thickness were associated with the severity of coronary artery disease in 43 patients with effort angina. Presence of complicated American Heart Association type-VI carotid plaque was significantly associated with the higher number of diseased coronary arteries after controlling for traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis as potential confounders (adjusted OR = 4.2, 95%CI, 1.1, 16.4, p=0.037). However, carotid wall thickness was not associated (adjusted OR, 0.75, 95%CI, 0.4, 1.4, p=0.35). In this population, carotid plaque characteristics may play a more important role than carotid wall thickness in predicting mutlivessel coronary disease.