Carotid Artery Stenosis as a Part of Atherosclerosis

Objective: There have been few reports on the frequency of atherosclerotic diseases complicating carotid artery stenosis. This study was conducted to clarify the frequency of various atherosclerotic diseases concurrent with carotid artery stenosis that required revascularization.Methods: Examinations concerning various atherosclerotic diseases were reviewed using clinical records of 152 consecutive patients who underwent carotid artery stenting from January 2012 to October 2016 at our hospital. The patients were also divided into those with systemic atherosclerosis (SA group) and those without SA (non-SA group), and their characteristics were analyzed.Results: Of the 152 patients, carotid artery stenosis was complicated by other atherosclerotic diseases in 50 (32.9%), of whom 28 (18.4%) had coronary artery disease, 23 (15.1%) had peripheral artery disease, and 3 (2.0%) had renal artery stenosis. In the SA group, the frequencies of diabetes and dyslipidemia were significantly higher, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was higher, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were lower.Conclusion: Carotid artery stenosis that required revascularization was frequently complicated by other atherosclerotic diseases. It is considered necessary to treat carotid artery stenosis with the prevention of cardiovascular events.