Atherosclerosis in abdominal aorta may predict adverse cardiovascular events

Interesting study from the University of Texas, using MRI to screen for atherosclerosis.

Accumulation of plaque tells us there is increased risk for peripheral vascular occlusion, stroke, and abdominal aortic aneurysms, but not all forms of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease,“ he said. ”In contrast, thickening of the aortic walls is more likely to be predictive of all forms of cardiovascular disease.

This is a different approach to merely screening for risk factors of atherosclerosis, and one that is endorsed by SHAPE.