Intravascular Ultrasound Analysis of Correlation between Plaque-Morphology and Risk Factors in Peripheral Arterial Disease

Patients with diabetes differ in atherosclerotic plaque characteristics and have worse clinical outcome after iliofemoral endarterectomy compared with patients without diabetes

“…These findings resemble imaging studies of patients with DM that also showed a more calcified plaque in PAD lesions. 14,16 However, not all imaging studies found this association. 28 Calcification may lead to thrombotic events in patients already suffering from hypercoagulability.…”

“…13,14 Furthermore, it is associated with calcification of the medial layer instead of the intimal layer of the arteries, known as Mönckeberg sclerosis. 15,16 Histologic characteristics of peripheral plaques have, to our knowledge, never been investigated in a large cohort of PAD patients with DM, a prevalent comorbidity. Moreover, it is unclear whether DM is an independent and causative predictor for secondary cardiovascular disease or decreased patency rates in PAD patients undergoing surgical revascularization.…”