Atherosclerotic Changes in Common Carotid Artery, Common Femoral Artery, and Ascending Aorta/Aortic Arch in Candidates for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract

We assessed the association between common carotid and common femoral artery intima–media thickness (ccIMT and cfIMT, respectively), histopathologic severity of atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta/aortic arch, and the extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) in 150 candidates for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). One-, 2-, and 3-vessel diseases were present in 20%, 25.9%, and 54.1%, respectively. Although no significant relationship was present between the ccIMT and the number of occluded coronary vessels ( P = .41), both the cfIMT and severity of atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta/aortic arch were predictive of more extensive CAD ( P = .03 and .01, respectively). Neither the ccIMT nor the cfIMT was correlated with the severity of aortic atherosclerosis ( P = .81 and .63, respectively). In conclusion, both cfIMT and atherosclerosis of ascending aorta/aortic arch are independent predictors of CAD extent. However, interrelationships between these 2 variables as well as the ccIMT are complex in CABG candidates.