Carotid Plaque Burden by 3-Dimensional Vascular Ultrasound as a Risk Marker for Patients with Metabolic Syndrome

Our aim was to analyse the associations between carotid plaque burden (CPB), cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), and surrogate markers of CV risk in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS). We consecutively included 75 asymptomatic outpatients with MetS components, 0 mm 3 and a CACS >0 AU were the risk biomarkers most frequently observed (72% and 77%, respectively), followed by LVH (40%). CPB and CACS revealed association with cardiovascular risk ( r = 0.308; p = 0.032 and r = 0.601 p < 0.01, respectively), and CPB also showed association with the burden of CVRF ( r = 0.349; p = 0.014). CPB by 3DVUS was a prevalent CV risk marker, directly associated with CVRF and cardiovascular risk in MetS subjects. Graphical abstract