Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a known predictor of carotid artery disease (CaAD). However the reported prevalence and predictors of concomitant coronary and carotid artery disease varied among previous studies.
Aim: To examine the prevalence of and risk factors for CaAD among patients with symptomatic CAD.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from unselected patients with CAD attending the coronary clinic at our institution who underwent coronary angiography for CAD symptoms. CaAD was diagnosed using Duplex method as part of the routine patient evaluation.
Results: The sample consisted of 325 patients (89 women) aged 34-90 years. The age at onset of symptoms of CAD was 33-87 years. A carotid stenosis of ≥50% was identified in 83 patients (25.5%). Additional 55 patients (17%) had a stenosis of 30-49%. Hypertension (p=0.032), hypercholesterolemia (p=0.0246), concomitant presence of peripheral arterial disease (p=0.005) and the number of coronary arteries with >50% stenosis (p=0.002) were all predictors of carotid artery stenosis ≥50%. The age at onset of CAD (p=0.068), left ventricular function (p=0.064) and diabetes mellitus (p=0.053) were borderline predictors of CaAD. Age at examination, gender, vitamin D status, hyperuricemia, low level of HDL-cholesterol, the time between diagnosis of CAD and of carotid evaluation, previous CABG surgery and renal dysfunction had no significant effect on the prevalence of CaAD
Conclusions: Carotid atherosclerosis is very common among patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease. The risk of CaAD is higher among patients with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, peripheral arterial disease and greater number of involved coronary arteries.
