Usefulness of carotid ultrasonography in the assessment of coronary artery disease extension in patients undergoing exercise echocardiography

Abstract

To evaluate whether carotid disease is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) extension in patients undergoing treadmill exercise stress echocardiography (EE). We retrospectively studied 156 patients without previous vascular disease who underwent EE, carotid ultrasonography, and coronary angiography between 2002 and 2013. Low-, intermediate-, and high-risk EE were defined as negative, localized ischemia, and multivessel/extensive ischemia EE respectively; carotid disease according to Mannheim and American Society of Echocardiography Consensus and CAD extension from zero to three vessel disease as stenosis ≥50% by visual assessment. Of the 156 patients, 67 (42.9%), 43 (27.6%), 22 (14.1%), and 24 (15.4%) had zero, one, two, and three vessel disease respectively. Age (P=0.047), male sex (P=0.010), diabetes mellitus (P=0.039), smoking habit (P=0.015), fasting plasma glucose (P=0.021), European Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (P=0.003), pretest CAD probability (P=0.003), high-risk EE (P<0.001), and carotid plaque presence (CP) (P<0.001) were associated in univariate analysis with more extensive CAD. Predictors of CAD extension in multivariate analysis were high-risk EE (odds ratio [OR] 2.42, P<0.001), CP presence (OR 1.75, P=0.004), and pretest CAD probability >65% (OR 1.49, P=0.023). CP was also associated with multivessel CAD in the 53 patients with low- or intermediate-risk EE (P=0.001). CP is associated with CAD extension in patients with ischemic heart disease suspicion undergoing EE. Patients with CP could benefit from a more aggressive therapeutic strategy regarding patients without carotid disease and similar risk EE, especially in intermediate- and/or low-risk test where guidelines recommend initially optimal medical treatment.