Progression of carotid atherosclerosis in Japanese patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract

The authors investigated the relationship between the progression of carotid atherosclerosis and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). The two-year follow-ups of extracranial carotid atherosclerosis in 50 patients with CAD were evaluated by B-mode high-resolution ultrasonography. The summed maximal thickness of carotid plaques increased by 3.2 to 10.1 mm (mean 1.06 mm, SD 2.42 mm). The extent of coronary atherosclerosis (p<0.02) and the serum total cholesterol level (p<0.01) were different between the progressing group (n=20) and the nonprogressing group (n=25) with carotid atherosclerosis. Carotid disease progression was significantly higher in patients with three-vessel coronary disease than in those without significant coronary disease (p<0.005). Age, serum triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, pack-years of smoking, % smokers, % hypertensives, and % diabetics were not different between the two groups. It was concluded that the severity of CAD was one of the strong predictors for carotid disease progression in patients with CAD.