Abstract
Purpose: We compared the condition of coronary arteries rendered in ultrasonograms of the common carotid artery (CCA) and attempted to determine if ultrasonography of the common carotid artery was useful in predicting the properties of the coronary artery and in follow-up studies. We also studied the effect statin therapy on the common carotid and coronary arteries. Subjects and Methods: Subjects were those patients who had undergone coronary artery endoscopy during cardiac catheterization and ultrasonography of common carotid artery within the previous 3 days. We also used coronary artery endoscopy to compare ultrasonograms of the common carotid artery and presence of yellow plaques (YP) in the coronary arteries and compared changes associated with statin drug therapy. Results: Varying with plaque shape, the ratio of the high-echo plaque in the common carotid artery significantly increased with number of yellow plaques and plaque scores of the coronary arteries. However, there was no significant correlation between grade of yellow plaque and average intima-media thickness (IMT), nor between grade of yellow plaque and maximum plaque diameter. Average intima-media thickness and plaque size in the common carotid artery in the atrovastatin-treated group had decreased significantly by a mean of 6 months later, but did not decrease in the nonatrovastatin-treated group. The number of yellow plaques in the coronary arteries significantly increased in the nonatrovastatin-treated group but not in the atrovastatin-treated group. Conclusion: Ultrasonography of the common carotid artery was useful in predicting atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, although the method of evaluation imposed certain limitations.
