Association of Carotid Artery Plaque With Cardiovascular Events and Incident Coronary Artery Calcium in Individuals With Absent Coronary Calcification The MESA

摘要

BACKGROUND: Absence of coronary artery calcium (CAC) identifies asymptomatic individuals at low cardiovascular disease risk. Carotid artery plaque is a marker of increased risk, but its association with cardiovascular risk and incident CAC in people without CAC is unclear. METHODS: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants with CAC score of 0 at enrollment who also underwent carotid plaque measurement using B-mode ultrasonography were prospectively followed for incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease events, and CAC (score >0 on up to 3 serial computed tomography scans). The association of carotid plaque presence and plaque score (Ln[score+1 ]) at baseline with cardiovascular events and incident CAC was evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for demographics, risk factors, and statin use.