Carotid artery plaque and LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratio predict atherosclerotic status in coronary arteries in asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the clinical predictors of coronary atherosclerosis and to assess the utility of maximum-IMT for predicting coronary atherosclerosis in asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: One hundred one Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes underwent computed tomography coronary angiography. Definitions of coronary artery stenosis and vulnerable coronary plaque were luminal narrowing of ≥50% and any coronary plaque with positive vessel remodeling and low attenuation, respectively. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) was assessed using B-mode ultrasound.

Results: Of the 101 patients, 40 had coronary artery stenosis without vulnerable coronary plaque, 7 had vulnerable coronary plaque without coronary artery stenosis, and 23 had coronary artery stenosis with vulnerable coronary plaque. Male sex (p=0.031), duration of diabetes (p=0.024), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p=0.039), and the LDL/HDL ratio (LDL/HDL) (p=0.013) were independent predictors of coronary artery stenosis and the LDL/HDL (p=0.042) independently predicted vulnerable coronary plaque by logistic regression analyses. Areas under the curves in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the maximum-IMT, LDL/HDL, and these two parameters combined were 0.711 (95% CI 0.601-0.820), 0.618 (0.508-0.728), and 0.732 (0.632-0.831), respectively, for predicting coronary artery stenosis and 0.655 (0.537-0.773), 0.629 (0.504-0.754), and 0.710 (0.601-0.818), respectively, for predicting vulnerable coronary plaque.

Conclusions: Male sex, duration of diabetes, elevated SBP, and LDL/HDL were independent predictors of coronary artery stenosis. LDL/HDL was an independent predictor of vulnerable coronary plaque. Maximum-IMT predicted both coronary stenosis and vulnerable coronary plaque. Adding LDL/HDL improved the prediction of coronary artery stenosis and vulnerable coronary plaque.