Table 1. Baseline characteristics.
| All (N = 37) | VP in whole aorta | VP in whole aorta | p value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–11 (N = 25) | ≥ 12 (N = 12) | |||
| Age | 67.3 ± 9.8 | 66.3 ± 10.9 | 69.4 ± 6.9 | 0.38 |
| Gender, male | 31 (83.8) | 22 (88.0) | 9 (75.0) | 0.33 |
| LV ejection fraction | 57.6 ± 15.6 | 55.3 ± 9.9 | 62.2 ± 13.7 | 0.09 |
| iabetes mellitus | 28 (75.7) | 10 (40.0) | 10 (83.3) | 0.01 |
| Hypertension | 22 (59.5) | 19 (76.0) | 9 (75.0) | 0.95 |
| Dyslipidemia | 27 (73.0) | 14 (56.0) | 8 (66.7) | 0.53 |
| Smoking history | 6 (16.2) | 18 (72.0) | 9 (75.0) | 0.85 |
| Hemodialysis | 6 (16.2) | 5 (20.0) | 1 (8.3) | 0.34 |
| OMI | 9 (24.3) | 8 (32.0) | 1 (8.3) | 0.093 |
| Past stroke | 3 (8.1) | 2 (8.0) | 1 (8.3) | 0.97 |
| PAD | 8 (21.6) | 2 (8.0) | 6 (50.0) | 0.005 |
| Medications | ||||
| Aspirin | 36 (97.3) | 25 (100.0) | 11 (91.7) | 0.13 |
| Dual antiplatelets | 35 (94.6) | 24 (96.0) | 11 (91.7) | 0.6 |
| Ca-Blocker | 14 (37.8) | 7 (28.0) | 7 (58.3) | 0.077 |
| ACE-I/ARB | 21 (56.8) | 14 (56.0) | 7 (58.3) | 0.89 |
| Diuretics | 7 (18.9) | 5 (20.0) | 2 (16.7) | 0.81 |
| Statin | 33 (89.2) | 22 (88.0) | 11 (91.7) | 0.73 |
| OHA | 16 (43.2) | 8 (32.0) | 8 (66.7) | 0.046 |
| Insulin | 8 (21.6) | 2 (8.0) | 6 (50.0) | 0.005 |
| Laboratory data | ||||
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 0.94 (0.79–1.23) | 1.0 (0.8–1.3) | 0.8 (0.7–1.2) | 0.3 |
| eGFR (ml/min/1.73 m2) | 56.2 ± 29.1 | 53.7 ± 30.9 | 61.5 ± 25.2 | 0.45 |
| HbA1c (%) (JDS) | 6.4 ± 1.0 | 6.2 ± 0.9 | 6.8 ± 1.1 | 0.08 |
| HDL-C (mg/dl) | 44.5 ± 11.9 | 44.1 ± 12.7 | 45.3 ± 10.5 | 0.78 |
| LDL-C (mg/dl) | 78.6 ± 25.5 | 75.3 ± 24.6 | 85.4 ± 27.1 | 0.26 |
| Triglyceride (mg/dl) | 145.5 ± 90.2 | 142.0 ± 98.6 | 152.8 ± 73.0 | 0.74 |
| hs-CRP (mg/dl) | 0.12 (0.06–0.31) | 0.12 (0.09–0.31) | 0.12 (0.05–0.32) | 0.81 |
| BNP (pg/dl) | 71.2 (33.2–150.5) | 75.7 (24.2–166.0) | 49.3 (34.9–108.9) | 0.21 |
| Coronary angioscopy findings | ||||
| Yellow grade (2–3) | 18 (48.6) | 11 (44.0) | 7 (58.3) | 0.41 |
| Thrombi | 16 (43.2) | 11 (44.0) | 5 (41.7) | 0.89 |
Data are presented as n (%), mean ± SD, or median (IQR).
ACE-I, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; Ca, calcium; eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; hs-CRP, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LV, left ventricular; OHA, oral hypoglycemic agent; OMI, old myocardial infarction; PAD, peripheral artery disease; VP, vulnerable plaque.