How Good Are Surrogate Measures of Coronary Artery Disease?

In a study of carotid artery ultrasound findings as predictors of first MI, some were better than others, and most were better in women than in men.

Increases in intima–media thickness (IMT) and the presence of plaque in carotid arteries are readily detectable by ultrasound. Are these findings reliable markers for coronary artery disease? In a population-based, prospective study in Tromsø, Norway, investigators measured IMT and total plaque area in 2989 men and 3237 women aged 25 to 84 without previous myocardial infarction.

Plaque was found in 53% of men and 44% of women overall; in the common carotid artery in 6% of men and 3% of women; in the bulb in 45% of men and 37% of women; and in the internal carotid artery in 18% of men and 15% of women. During a median follow-up period of 6 years, MI occurred in 7% of men and 3% of women. The unadjusted relative risk for MI was nearly three ti…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

How Good Are Surrogate Measures of Coronary Artery Disease?

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Reviewing Author