The relationship between abdominal fat and change in left ventricular ejection fraction in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: Prior studies have identified a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and intraperitoneal (IP) fat with heart failure; however, in prior studies of cancer patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy, elevations in BMI have not necessarily been associated with decrements in heart function. This study tested the hypothesis that IP fat may be associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decline among cancer patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy. METHODS: In this prospective study of 61 cancer patients (23 breast cancer, 32 lymphoma, and 6 sarcoma), IP fat and other assessments of body composition, and changes in LVEF from pre- to postcancer treatment using noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging was ascertained. RESULTS: After accounting for age, baseline LVEF, and confounding variables, pre- to 24-month post-treatment LVEF changes were inversely correlated with IP fat (r = -0.33; p = 0.02) and positively correlated with measures of subcutaneous (SQ) fat (r = 0.33; p = 0.01). These LVEF changes were not correlated with BMI (r = 0.12; p = 0.37). CONCLUSION: Among patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy, pretreatment IP fat was associated with subsequent declines in LVEF. There was no association between BMI and LVEF decline. These findings may be related to a potential protective effect of SQ fat.

Non-invasive fractional flow reserve derived from coronary computed tomography angiography in patients with acute chest pain: Subgroup analysis of the ROMICAT II trial.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive fractional flow reserve (FFRCT) derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) permits hemodynamic evaluation of coronary stenosis and may improve efficiency of assessment in stable chest pain patients. We determined feasibility of FFRCT in the population of acute chest pain patients and assessed the relationship of FFRCT with outcomes of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and revascularization and with plaque characteristics. METHODS: We included 68 patients (mean age 55.8 ±â€¯8.4 years, 71% men) from the ROMICAT II trial who had ≥50% stenosis on coronary CTA or underwent additional non-invasive stress test. We evaluated coronary stenosis and high-risk plaque on coronary CTA. FFRCT was measured in a core laboratory. RESULTS: We found correlation between anatomic severity of stenosis and FFRCT ≤0.80 vs. FFRCT >0.80 (severe stenosis 84.8% vs. 15.2%; moderate stenosis 33.3% vs. 66.7%; mild stenosis 33.3% vs. 66.7% patients). Patients with severe stenosis had lower FFRCT values (median 0.64, 25th-75th percentile 0.50-0.75) as compared to patients with moderate (median 0.84, 25th-75th percentile, p < 0.001) or mild stenosis (median 0.86, 25th-75th percentile 0.78-0.88, p < 0.001). The relative risk of ACS and revascularization in patients with positive FFRCT ≤0.80 was 4.03 (95% CI 1.56-10.36) and 3.50 (95% CI 1.12-10.96), respectively. FFRCT ≤0.80 was associated with the presence of high-risk plaque (odds ratio 3.91, 95% CI 1.55-9.85, p = 0.004) after adjustment for stenosis severity. CONCLUSION: Abnormal FFRCT was associated with the presence of ACS, coronary revascularization, and high-risk plaque. FFRCT measurements correlated with anatomic severity of stenosis on coronary CTA and were feasible in population of patients with acute chest pain.

Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography-Specific Definitions of High-Risk Plaque Features Improve Detection of Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background High-risk plaque (HRP) features as detected by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) predict acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to determine whether coronary CTA-specific definitions of HRP improve discrimination of patients with ACS as compared with definitions from intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Methods and Results In patients with suspected ACS, randomized to coronary CTA in the ROMICAT II (Rule Out Myocardial Infarction/Ischemia Using Computer Assisted Tomography II) trial, we retrospectively performed semiautomated quantitative analysis of HRP (including remodeling index, plaque burden as derived by plaque area, low computed tomography attenuation plaque volume) and degree of luminal stenosis and analyzed the performance of traditional IVUS thresholds to detect ACS. Furthermore, we derived CTA-specific thresholds in patients with ACS to detect culprit lesions and applied those to all patients to calculate the discriminatory ability to detect ACS in comparison to IVUS thresholds. Of 472 patients, 255 patients (56±7.8 years; 63% men) had coronary plaque. In 32 patients (6.8%) with ACS, culprit plaques (n=35) differed from nonculprit plaques (n=172) with significantly greater values for all HRP features except minimal luminal area (significantly lower; all P<0.01). IVUS definitions showed good performance while minimal luminal area (odds ratio: 6.82; P=0.014) and plaque burden (odds ratio: 5.71; P=0.008) were independently associated with ACS but not remodeling index (odds ratio: 0.78; P=0.673). Optimized CTA-specific thresholds for plaque burden (area under the curve: 0.832 versus 0.676) and degree of stenosis (area under the curve: 0.826 versus 0.721) showed significantly higher diagnostic performance for ACS as compared with IVUS-based thresholds (all P<0.05) with borderline significance for minimal luminal area (area under the curve: 0.817 versus 0.742; P=0.066). Conclusions CTA-specific definitions of HRP features may improve the discrimination of patients with ACS as compared with IVUS-based definitions. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01084239.

Differences in the association of total versus local coronary artery calcium with acute coronary syndrome and culprit lesions in patients with acute chest pain: The coronary calcium paradox.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Total coronary artery calcium (CAC) burden is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk, while local CAC may represent stable plaques. We determined differences in relationship of total CAC with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and local CAC with culprit lesions in patients with suspected ACS. METHODS: We performed computed tomography (CT) for CAC and CT angiography to assess the presence of significant stenosis and high-risk plaque (positive remodeling, low CT attenuation, napkin-ring sign, spotty calcium) in 37 patients with ACS and 223 controls. Total and segmental Agatston scores were measured. Culprit lesions were assessed in subjects with ACS. RESULTS: Patients (n = 260) with vs. without ACS had higher total CAC score (median 229, 25th-75th percentile 75-517 vs. 27, 25th-75th percentile 0-99, p<0.001), higher prevalence of significant stenosis (78% vs. 7%, p<0.001) and high-risk plaque (95% vs. 59%, p<0.001). In those with ACS, culprit (n = 41) vs. non-culprit (n = 200) lesions, had similar segmental CAC score (median 22, 25th-75th percentile 4-71 vs. 14, 25th-75th percentile 0-51; p=0.37), but higher prevalence of significant stenosis (81% vs. 11%, p<0.001) and high-risk plaque (76% vs. 51%, p=0.005). Significant stenosis (odds ratio 40.2, 95%CI 15.6-103.9, p<0.001) and high-risk plaque (odds ratio 3.4, 95%CI 1.3-9.1, p=0.02), but not segmental CAC score (odds ratio 1.0, 95%CI 1.0-1.0, p=0.47), were associated with culprit lesions of ACS. CONCLUSIONS: Total CAC burden was associated with ACS but segmental CAC was not associated with culprit lesions. Our findings suggest that total but not local CAC is a marker of ACS risk and support the hypothesis that extensive local CAC is a marker of plaque stability.

Quantitative coronary plaque analysis predicts high-risk plaque morphology on coronary computed tomography angiography: results from the ROMICAT II trial.

Semi-automated software can provide quantitative assessment of atherosclerotic plaques on coronary CT angiography (CTA). The relationship between established qualitative high-risk plaque features and quantitative plaque measurements has not been studied. We analyzed the association between quantitative plaque measurements and qualitative high-risk plaque features on coronary CTA. We included 260 patients with plaque who underwent coronary CTA in the Rule Out Myocardial Infarction/Ischemia Using Computer Assisted Tomography (ROMICAT) II trial. Quantitative plaque assessment and qualitative plaque characterization were performed on a per coronary segment basis. Quantitative coronary plaque measurements included plaque volume, plaque burden, remodeling index, and diameter stenosis. In qualitative analysis, high-risk plaque was present if positive remodeling, low CT attenuation plaque, napkin-ring sign or spotty calcium were detected. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between quantitative and qualitative high-risk plaque assessment. Among 888 segments with coronary plaque, high-risk plaque was present in 391 (44.0%) segments by qualitative analysis. In quantitative analysis, segments with high-risk plaque had higher total plaque volume, low CT attenuation plaque volume, plaque burden and remodeling index. Quantitatively assessed low CT attenuation plaque volume (odds ratio 1.12 per 1 mm3, 95% CI 1.04-1.21), positive remodeling (odds ratio 1.25 per 0.1, 95% CI 1.10-1.41) and plaque burden (odds ratio 1.53 per 0.1, 95% CI 1.08-2.16) were associated with high-risk plaque. Quantitative coronary plaque characteristics (low CT attenuation plaque volume, positive remodeling and plaque burden) measured by semi-automated software correlated with qualitative assessment of high-risk plaque features.

Coronary Artery Calcium Distribution Is an Independent Predictor of Incident Major Coronary Heart Disease Events: Results From the Framingham Heart Study.

BACKGROUND: The presence and extent of coronary artery calcium (CAC) are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events. We determined whether information on the distribution of CAC and coronary dominance as detected by cardiac computed tomography were incremental to traditional Agatston score (AS) in predicting incident major coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed total AS and the presence of CAC per coronary artery, per segment, and coronary dominance by computed tomography in participants from the offspring and third-generation cohorts of the Framingham Heart Study. The primary outcome was major CHD (myocardial infarction or CHD death). We performed multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis and calculated relative integrated discrimination improvement. In 1268 subjects (mean age, 56.2±10.3 years, 63.2% men) with AS >0 and no history of major CHD, a total of 42 major CHD events occurred during median follow-up of 7.4 years. The number of coronary arteries with CAC (hazard ratio, 1.68 per artery; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.57; P=0.02) and the presence of CAC in the proximal dominant coronary artery (hazard ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-5.83; P=0.02) were associated with major CHD events after multivariable adjustment for Framingham risk score and categories of AS. In addition, measures of CAC distribution improved discriminatory capacity for major CHD events (relative integrated discrimination improvement, 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Distribution of coronary atherosclerosis, especially CAC in the proximal dominant coronary artery and an increased number of coronary arteries with CAC, predict major CHD events independently of the traditional AS in community-dwelling men and women.

Epicardial and paracardial adipose tissue volume and attenuation - Association with high-risk coronary plaque on computed tomographic angiography in the ROMICAT II trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To determine whether epicardial (EAT) and paracardial adipose tissue (PAT) volume and attenuation are associated with high-risk coronary plaque features. METHODS: In subjects with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) enrolled in the ROMICAT II trial, EAT and PAT volumes indexed to body surface area (BSA) and attenuation were measured on non-contrast coronary artery calcium score (CACS) CT. High-risk plaque features (napkin-ring sign, positive remodeling, low density plaque, spotty calcium) and stenosis were assessed on coronary CT angiography (CTA). The association of EAT and PAT volume and attenuation with high-risk plaque and whether this was independent of clinical risk assessment, CACS and significant coronary artery disease (CAD) was determined. RESULTS: Of 467 (mean 54 ± 8 yrs, 53% male) with CACS and CTA, 167 (36%) had high-risk plaque features. Those with high-risk plaque had significantly higher indexed EAT (median 59 (Q1-Q3:45-75) cc/m(2) vs. 49 (35-65) cc/m(2), p < 0.001) and PAT volume (median:51 (36-73) cc/m(2) vs. 33 (22-52) cc/m(2), p < 0.001). Higher indexed EAT volume was associated with high-risk plaque [univariate OR 1.02 (95%-CI:1.01-1.03) per cc/m(2) of EAT, p < 0.001], which remained significant [univariate OR 1.04 (95%-CI:1.00-1.08) per cc/m(2) of EAT, p = 0.040] after adjustment for risk factors, CACS, and stenosis ≥50%. Higher indexed PAT volume was associated with high-risk plaque in univariate analysis [OR 1.02 (1.01-1.03) per cc/m(2) of PAT, p < 0.001], though this was not significant in multivariate analysis. At a threshold of >62.3 cc/m(2), EAT volume was associated with high-risk plaque [univariate OR 2.50 (95%-CI:1.69-3.72), p < 0.001)], which remained significant [OR 1.83 (95%-CI:1.10-3.05), p = 0.020] after adjustment. Subjects with high-risk plaque had lower mean attenuation EAT (-88.1 vs. -86.9 HU, p = 0.008) and PAT (-106 vs. -103 HU, p < 0.001), though this was not significant in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Greater volumes of EAT are associated with high-risk plaque independent of risk factors, CACS and obstructive CAD. This observation supports possible local influence of EAT on development of high-risk coronary plaque.

Computed tomography-based high-risk coronary plaque score to predict acute coronary syndrome among patients with acute chest pain--Results from the ROMICAT II trial.

BACKGROUND: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) can be used to detect and quantitatively assess high-risk plaque features. OBJECTIVE: To validate the ROMICAT score, which was derived using semi-automated quantitative measurements of high-risk plaque features, for the prediction of ACS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed quantitative plaque analysis in 260 patients who presented to the emergency department with suspected ACS in the ROMICAT II trial. The readers used a semi-automated software (QAngio, Medis medical imaging systems BV) to measure high-risk plaque features (volume of <60HU plaque, remodeling index, spotty calcium, plaque length) and diameter stenosis in all plaques. We calculated a ROMICAT score, which was derived from the ROMICAT I study and applied to the ROMICAT II trial. The primary outcome of the study was diagnosis of an ACS during the index hospitalization. RESULTS: Patient characteristics (age 57 ± 8 vs. 56 ± 8 years, cardiovascular risk factors) were not different between those with and without ACS (prevalence of ACS 7.8%). There were more men in the ACS group (84% vs. 59%, p = 0.005). When applying the ROMICAT score derived from the ROMICAT I trial to the patient population of the ROMICAT II trial, the ROMICAT score (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.4-6.0, p = 0.003) was a predictor of ACS after adjusting for gender and ≥ 50% stenosis. The AUC of the model containing ROMICAT score, gender, and ≥ 50% stenosis was 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.96) and was better than with a model that included only gender and ≥ 50% stenosis (AUC 0.85, 95%CI 0.77-0.92; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The ROMICAT score derived from semi-automated quantitative measurements of high-risk plaque features was an independent predictor of ACS during the index hospitalization and was incremental to gender and presence of ≥ 50% stenosis.

Role of Computed Tomography in Assessment of the Thoracic Aorta.

OPINION STATEMENT: Thoracic aortic disease is increasing in prevalence and can result in serious morbidity and mortality. Computed tomography (CT) angiography is an important imaging modality for assessment of thoracic aortic pathology due to wide availability, rapid acquisition, reproducibility, superior spatial and temporal resolution, and capability for 3D image post-processing. CT is the preferred imaging modality in the acute setting to rapidly identify patients with acute aortic syndromes including dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating aortic ulcer. CT also plays an important role in post-procedural surveillance of the thoracic aorta for early and late complications from open or endovascular repair. Incidentally detected thoracic aortic aneurysms and congenital aortic anomalies such as coarctation can be thoroughly characterized and followed over time for potential elective intervention. Drawbacks of CT include exposure to radiation and iodinated contrast media; however, recent strategies for dose reduction and contrast optimization have significantly decreased these risks. Electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated CT angiography provides additional information about the aortic root, coronary arteries, and other cardiac structures without motion artifacts.