Improved prediction of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients: Role of quantitative ultrasonic tissue characterization.

Abstract

The early prediction of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes has been a subject of great interest for decades. This issue has become critical, as the number of individuals with diabetes is soaring, many of them remain under suboptimal control1, and the burden of cardiovascular complications of diabetes is overwhelming in both developed and developing countries. In addition to well‐known demographic and metabolic characteristics, both genetic and non‐genetic risk factors have been shown to have a certain value in predicting cardiovascular events2. However, current cardiovascular risk assessment does not fully take into account the subsequent events, partly because these risk factors do not directly reflect functional and structural changes in vascular lesions. Thus, recent studies using non‐invasive image techniques targeting vascular structure might provide additional information in predicting clinical cardiovascular disease (Figure 1). In this regard, Katakami et al.4 reported that the application of ultrasonic tissue characterization of carotid plaque could improve the prediction of cardiovascular events in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.