Subclinical Atherosclerosis Burden Linked to All-Cause Mortality
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Oct. 4, 2024 -- For asymptomatic individuals, subclinical atherosclerosis burden is associated with all-cause mortality, according to a study published in the Oct. 8 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Valentin Fuster, M.D., Ph.D., from Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III in Madrid, and colleagues examined the independent predictive value of subclinical atherosclerosis burden and progression and all-cause mortality in a population of 5,716 asymptomatic U.S. adults. Participants underwent examination by vascular ultrasound to quantify carotid plaque burden (cPB) and by computed tomography for coronary artery calcium (CAC). A total of 732 participants underwent follow-up carotid vascular ultrasound at a median of 8.9 years after baseline.
The researchers found that 16 percent of the participants died during a median follow-up of 12.4 years. Baseline cPB and CAC score were both significantly associated with all-cause mortality after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and background medication (fully adjusted trend hazard ratios, 1.23 and 1.15, respectively). Better performance was seen for cPB than the CAC score. Among participants who underwent a second vascular ultrasound evaluation, there was progression in the median cPB from 29.2 to 91.3 mm3. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and baseline cPB, cPB progression was significantly associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.03 per absolute 10-mm3 change).
"The long asymptomatic phase of the disease presents a window of opportunity that has not been exploited in the younger population," Fuster said in a statement.
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Random Forest AI Model Superior for Inpatient Mortality Prognostication in Cirrhosis
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- For inpatients with cirrhosis, a machine learning (ML) model using random forest (RF) analysis is superior for prediction of inpatient mortality...
Inflammation and Nutrition-Based Scores Tied to Prognosis of Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and systemic oxidative stress (SOS) score are independently associated with poorer prognosis of low-risk...
Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.