Journal of Clinical Medicine
Beyond SCORE2: Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis and Associated Inflammatory, Metabolic and Renal Markers
By Cerasela Mihaela Goidescu, Anca Daniela Fărcaș, Iulian Gabriel Goidescu and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Conventional cardiovascular risk scores may not fully reflect the individual burden of subclinical atherosclerosis. We investigated the clinical and biochemical determinants of carotid plaque and assessed whether inflammatory, metabolic, and renal markers provide information beyond SCORE2.
Methods
This observational study included 542 asymptomatic middle-aged adults without known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who underwent clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, SCORE2 estimation, and standardized carotid ultrasonography. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of carotid plaque. The incremental contribution of renal function and SCORE2 was also evaluated.