EXTRACORONARY ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE AT MULTIPLE SITES AND TOTAL CORONARY CALCIFICATION DEPOSIT IN ASYMPTOMATIC MEN - ASSOCIATION WITH CORONARY RISK PROFILE

Background Recent studies have suggested that knowledge of the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis may improve prognostic information in s ubjects at risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we tested the va lue of extracoronary plaque detected with echography at multiple sites and that of total coronary calcification deposit evaluated with ultra fast computed tomography for predicting the risk of coronary events es timated on the basis of traditional risk factors. Methods and Results We analyzed in 618 asymptomatic at-risk men the extent of extracoronar y atherosclerosis, as assessed with ultrasound imaging of carotid, aor tic, and femoral sites and coded as number of disease sites (none, one , two, or three) on the basis of the presence of plaque at each site, and the amount of total coronary calcification deposit, as evaluated w ith ultrafast computed tomography and coded as grade 0, 1, 2, or 3 on the basis of the determination of a total coronary calcium score. Conc omitantly, age, systolic pressure, total and HDL cholesterol levels, c urrent smoking, presence of diabetes, and presence of ECG left ventric ular hypertrophy (ECG-LVH) were evaluated with the goal of estimating coronary risk with the use of the Framingham Study risk algorithm. The prevalence rates of at least one extracoronary disease site and coron ary calcification (any grade) were high (72% and 63%).