Side differences of carotid intima-media thickness in predicting cardiovascular events among patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract

Population-based studies have demonstrated differences in intima-media thickness (IMT) measured from the left and right common carotid arteries (CCAs). However, its prognostic implications among patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) remain unknown. Correlations between the left and right CCAs and the composite end point of cardiac death or nonfatal acute coronary syndrome among 149 patients with angiographically confirmed stable CAD were studied. A total of 22 patients had cardiovascular events during the 32.1 ± 10.9 months follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed that prior ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [HR]: 15.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.49-52.59, P <.001), extent of CAD (HR: 1.56, 95%CI: 1.01-2.42, P =.046), and right CCA IMT (HR: 17.07, 95%CI: 2.16-134.69, P =.007) but not the left CCA IMT, independently predicted cardiovascular events. The right CCA IMT independently predicted event-free survival among patients with established CAD, suggesting that the left and right CCA may exhibit different prognostic values in our population. © The Author(s) 2011.