1. Elevated FAI Index of Pericoronary Inflammation on Coronary CT Identifies Increased Risk of Coronary Plaque Vulnerability after COVID-19 Infection.
- Author
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Mátyás BB, Benedek I, Blîndu E, Gerculy R, Roșca A, Rat N, Kovács I, Opincariu D, Parajkó Z, Szabó E, Benedek B, and Benedek T
- Subjects
- Humans, Middle Aged, Aged, Coronary Angiography methods, Adipose Tissue, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Inflammation complications, Coronary Vessels, COVID-19 complications, Plaque, Atherosclerotic diagnostic imaging, Plaque, Atherosclerotic etiology, Coronary Artery Disease diagnostic imaging, Coronary Artery Disease etiology
- Abstract
Inflammation is a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by the buildup of plaque in the arteries. COVID-19 infection is known to cause systemic inflammation, but its impact on local plaque vulnerability is unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection on coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients who underwent computed tomography angiography (CCTA) for chest pain in the early stages after infection, using an AI-powered solution called CaRi-Heart
® . The study included 158 patients (mean age was 61.63 ± 10.14 years) with angina and low to intermediate clinical likelihood of CAD, with 75 having a previous COVID-19 infection and 83 without infection. The results showed that patients who had a previous COVID-19 infection had higher levels of pericoronary inflammation than those who did not have a COVID-19 infection, suggesting that COVID-19 may increase the risk of coronary plaque destabilization. This study highlights the potential long-term impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health, and the importance of monitoring and managing cardiovascular risk factors in patients recovering from COVID-19 infection. The AI-powered CaRi-Heart® technology may offer a non-invasive way to detect coronary artery inflammation and plaque instability in patients with COVID-19.- Published
- 2023
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