For a study, researchers sought to determine how carotid intima-media thickness, plaque thickness, and plaque area performed in 10-year ASCVD prediction when combined with conventional risk factors, and if the vascular territory of these measurements, carotid or common femoral bifurcation, and the number of bifurcations with plaque (NBP), influenced prediction. We included 985 people without atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (mean age: 58.1+10.2 years). Conventional risk variables were documented, and ultrasonography was used to assess the carotid and common femoral bifurcations. The primary endpoint was a composite of fatal or nonfatal ASCVE for the first time. ASCVE occurred in 154 (15.6%) subjects during a mean SD follow-up of 13.2+3.7 years. Adding alternative plaque measures to conventional risk variables in a Cox model resulted in a net reclassification improvement of 10.4% for maximal intima-media thickness, 9.5% for carotid plaque thickness, and 14.2% for carotid plaque area. Combining observations from four bifurcations grew to 16.1%, 16.6%, and 16.6% (P<0.0001), respectively.

NBP, total plaque thickness, or total plaque area measured at the carotid, and common femoral bifurcations predicted future ASCVE better than data were taken at only one location. Therefore, the findings must be confirmed in another cohort.

Reference:www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.03.352

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