Relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and coronary atherosclerosis in elderly patients with coronary artery disease

Objective To evaluate the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) and coronary atherosclerosis in elderly patients with coronary artery disease.Methods Carotid ultrasonography was performed in 94 patients who had been examined by coronary angiography. Carotid plaque score was calculated using Sutton's method to quantify the extent of carotid atherosclerosis.Results The carotid intima media thickness and plaque index were significantly increased in all diseased groups versus controls(P0.05). Multiple regression stepwise analysis of all the subjects revealed that the age, cigarette smoking, systolic blood pressure,course and severity of hypertension, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL C), ratio of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL C) and HDL C were independently positively correlated with CAS.As coronary atherosclerosis progressed, the extent of CAS increased. Significant differences of carotid plaque scores were found between different coronary artery disease groups (P0.01).Conclusion The results suggest that the coronary artery disease and cerebral artery disease are parellel.