Relationship between Framingham risk score and subclinical atherosclerosis in carotid plaques： an in vivo study using multi-contrast MRI

• Published in: Science China. Life sciences Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 23 - 27
• Main Authors: Li, Feiyu, Wang, Xiaoying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Beijing Science China Press 2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Atherosclerosis - diagnostic imaging; Atherosclerosis - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Contrast Media - pharmacokinetics; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Life Sciences; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Middle Aged; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - diagnostic imaging; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - metabolism; Prognosis; Reproducibility of Results; Research Paper; Risk Assessment - methods; Risk Factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; 临床; 动脉粥样硬化; 危险因素; 心血管疾病; 斑块特征; 磁共振成像; 评分; 风险; atherosclerosis; magnetic resonance imaging; carotid artery; Framingham risk score
• ISSN: 1674-7305; 1869-1889
• DOI: 10.1007/s11427-016-0385-5

The assessment and management of early-stage atherosclerosis are important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease （CVD）. In this study, we used multi-contrast magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） to investigate the carotid plaque feature in asymptomatic, at-risk subjects; we also evaluated the correlation between MRI findings and Framingham risk score （FRS）. One hundred sixty-six asymptomatic individuals with risk factors for CVD underwent multi-contrast MRI. After the arterial morphology and plaque components were outlined, the differences in carotid plaque burden among the various risk categories were analyzed. The FRS analysis showed that high-risk individuals had thicker vessel wall and higher plaque lipid content than did low risk participants. A substantial proportion of advanced carotid plaques occurred in low and intermediate-risk groups. Multi-contrast MRI may provide incremental value to the FRS in managing asymptomatic at-risk population.