Pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation predicts compositional plaque changes: a 12-month longitudinal study in individuals with type 2 diabetes without symptoms or known coronary artery disease
Authors' conclusion
Baseline PCATa is significantly associated with increases in total and non-calcified plaque volumes and burden over 12 months in participants with T2DM without symptoms or known CAD. High PCATa levels uniquely predict non-calcified plaque burden progression, suggesting that PCATa may serve as a marker for subclinical atherosclerosis progression. This warrants further investigation into PCATa for cardiovascular risk assessment, particularly in high-risk populations such as individuals with T2DM.
Study context
- Population
- Individuals with T2D without symptoms or prior diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD); mean age 61 ± 9.4 years, 72% male
- Participants
- 200 individuals
- Exposure
- Baseline pericoronary adipose tissue attenuation (PCATa) as predictor of plaque changes
- Outcome
- Changes in plaque composition and burden (baseline to 12-month coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)) predicted by baseline PCATa
- Follow-up
- 12 months
Methodological details12-month longitudinal
- 12-month longitudinal
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Total plaque volume change, β
0.005
p = 0.005
Non-calcified plaque volume change, β
0.006
p = 0.007
Total plaque burden change, β
1.7
p = 0.007
Non-calcified plaque burden change, β
2.0
p = 0.006
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
High baseline PCATa and non-calcified plaque burden progression · 12 months
- High baseline PCATa prevalence
- 44 participants (22%)
- High PCATa, only independent predictor of non-calcified plaque burden progression, OR
- 3.5 (p = 0.002)
Plaque volumes, burden and PCATa over time · 12 months
- Plaque compositional volumes and burden increased; PCATa remained stable
Original publication
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