Yuntai Cao1, Xihai Zhao2, Hiroko Watase3, Daniel S Hippe4, Yousen Wu1, Hongqian Zhang1, Lina Yue1, Gador M Canto4, Yan Song5, Honglu Shi6, Guangbin Wang6, Rui Li2, Haihua Bao7, Chun Yuan8. 1. Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China. 2. Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. 3. Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle. 4. Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle. 5. Department of Radiology, Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China. 6. Shandong Medical Imaging Research Institute, Shandong University, Jinan, China. 7. Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University, Xining, China. Electronic address: baohelen2@sina.com. 8. Center for Biomedical Imaging Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China; Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in characteristics of carotid plaques between patients Xining at high altitude and Jinan at sea level using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS: Subjects were recruited from a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter imaging study of CARE-II study. Forty-nine (mean age 63.3 ± 12.0 years, 33 males) and 51 (mean age 64.5 ± 12.0 years, 34 males) patients were recruited from a site located in a high altitude region and a site located near sea level, respectively. All patients underwent multicontrast MR vessel wall imaging for carotid arteries on 3.0 T MR scanner. The carotid plaques features were compared between 2 patient groups. RESULTS: Compared with patients at sea level, those at high altitude had significantly greater lumen area (58.5 ± 17.8 mm2 versus 50.0 ± 19.6 mm2, P = .008), smaller maximum normalized wall index (48.6% ± 14.2% versus 57.8% ± 16.3%, P = .002), and smaller percentage volume of calcium (0.9% versus 5.6%, P < .001) in the symptomatic carotid artery. After adjustment for clinical risk factors including age, sex, systolic blood pressure, LDL-C, and statin use, these differences in plaque morphology and composition remained statistically significant. After further adjustment for normalized wall index as a measure of plaque burden, percentage volume of calcification was still significantly smaller in patients at high altitude area than that in patients at sea level area (P = .047). CONCLUSION: Symptomatic subjects from a high altitude area have lower plaque burden and less calcification in the carotid artery compared to those from an area near sea level.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differences in characteristics of carotid plaques between patients Xining at high altitude and Jinan at sea level using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. METHODS: Subjects were recruited from a cross-sectional, observational, multicenter imaging study of CARE-II study. Forty-nine (mean age 63.3 ± 12.0 years, 33 males) and 51 (mean age 64.5 ± 12.0 years, 34 males) patients were recruited from a site located in a high altitude region and a site located near sea level, respectively. All patients underwent multicontrast MR vessel wall imaging for carotid arteries on 3.0 T MR scanner. The carotid plaques features were compared between 2 patient groups. RESULTS: Compared with patients at sea level, those at high altitude had significantly greater lumen area (58.5 ± 17.8 mm2 versus 50.0 ± 19.6 mm2, P = .008), smaller maximum normalized wall index (48.6% ± 14.2% versus 57.8% ± 16.3%, P = .002), and smaller percentage volume of calcium (0.9% versus 5.6%, P < .001) in the symptomatic carotid artery. After adjustment for clinical risk factors including age, sex, systolic blood pressure, LDL-C, and statin use, these differences in plaque morphology and composition remained statistically significant. After further adjustment for normalized wall index as a measure of plaque burden, percentage volume of calcification was still significantly smaller in patients at high altitude area than that in patients at sea level area (P = .047). CONCLUSION: Symptomatic subjects from a high altitude area have lower plaque burden and less calcification in the carotid artery compared to those from an area near sea level.
Authors: Maria Lazo-Porras; Antonio Bernabe-Ortiz; Robert H Gilman; William Checkley; Liam Smeeth; J Jaime Miranda Journal: Lancet Reg Health Am Date: 2021-10-30