Additive Prognostic Value of Carotid Plaque Score to Enhance the Age, Creatinine, and Ejection Fraction Score in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Fig. 1.. Measurement of the carotid plaque score The plaque score was computed by summing the maximum thickness (millimeters) of the plaques in each segment on both sides (a+b+c+contralateral plaques). S1, region of the ICA < 15 mm distal to its bifurcation from the CCA; S2, region of the ICA and CCA < 15 mm proximal to the bifurcation; S3, region of the CCA > 15 mm and < 30 mm proximal to the bifurcation; S4, region of the CCA > 30 mm proximal to the bifurcation below the flow divider. The length of each of the plaques was not considered in determining the plaque score. ICA, internal carotid artery; CCA, common carotid artery.

Fig. 2.. Distribution of multivessel disease according to the severity of carotid atherosclerosis determined by carotid ultrasonography Number of coronary arteries with significant lesions following coronary angiography according to the classification of the carotid artery atherosclerosis by the median of (A) cPS and (B) cIMT. The absolute number of patients in each category is indicated inside the bars. cIMT, carotid intima–media thickness; cPS, carotid plaque score; VD, vessel disease.

Fig. 3.. Kaplan–Meier time-to-event curves for MACEs Kaplan–Meier time-to-event curves were stratified across the median of (A) ACEF score, (B) cPS, and (C) clinical cPS for freedom from MACEs. The numbers of patients at risk at each time point are indicated below the graph. ACEF, age, creatinine, and ejection fraction; cPS, carotid plaque score; MACEs, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events.

Fig. 4.. Comparison of diagnostic performance for MACEs between ACEF score, cPS, and clinical cPS *p < 0.05 vs. ACEF score; §p < 0.05 vs. cPS. ACEF, age, creatinine, and ejection fraction; AUC, area under the receiver operator characteristic curve; CI, confidence interval; cPS, carotid plaque score.