I read the article by R.H. Eckel and M.A. Cornier with great interest. This may be helpful as a good summary for emerging cardiovascular risk factors for many clinicians. However, concerning subclinical atherosclerosis, I guess that it would have been relevant to consider a clear emerging risk factor, i.e. the presence and volume of carotid plaques (1,2). Evidence is accumulating on this risk factor and its potential superiority over carotid intima-media thickness as predcitor of events (1). It would have been nice to have these issues included in the review.
1. Inaba Y, Chen JA, Bergmann SR. Carotid plaque, compared with carotid intima-media thickness, more accurately predicts coronary artery disease events: a meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis. 2012;220:128-33.
2. Wannarong T, Parraga G, Buchanan D, Fenster A, House AA, Hackam DG, Spence JD. Progression of carotid plaque volume predicts cardiovascular events. Stroke. 2013;44:1859-65.
Competing interests
I am the principal investigator of a project on carotid atherosclerosis in diabetes, funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Minsitry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain.
The presence of carotid plaques may be a relevant predictor of cardiovascular events
10 September 2014
I read the article by R.H. Eckel and M.A. Cornier with great interest. This may be helpful as a good summary for emerging cardiovascular risk factors for many clinicians. However, concerning subclinical atherosclerosis, I guess that it would have been relevant to consider a clear emerging risk factor, i.e. the presence and volume of carotid plaques (1,2). Evidence is accumulating on this risk factor and its potential superiority over carotid intima-media thickness as predcitor of events (1). It would have been nice to have these issues included in the review.
1. Inaba Y, Chen JA, Bergmann SR. Carotid plaque, compared with carotid intima-media thickness, more accurately predicts coronary artery disease events: a meta-analysis. Atherosclerosis. 2012;220:128-33.
2. Wannarong T, Parraga G, Buchanan D, Fenster A, House AA, Hackam DG, Spence JD. Progression of carotid plaque volume predicts cardiovascular events. Stroke. 2013;44:1859-65.
Competing interests
I am the principal investigator of a project on carotid atherosclerosis in diabetes, funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Minsitry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain.