"What we saw was surprising," Dr. Wasserman said. "MRI measures of carotid artery wall thickness were more consistently associated with cardiovascular events than was intima-media thickness using ultrasound. This tells us that perhaps MRI could be a better predictor of cardiovascular events, especially stroke."
The association between wall thickness and cardiovascular events was stronger with both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI than it was for IMT.

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Dr. Wasserman cautioned that more research is needed to define how much MRI can add to the predictive models currently in use. MRI is expensive and would be impractical as a stand-alone measure of cardiovascular risk, but it could have a role in providing critical supplementary information for some patients.
"We've come a long way with MRI techniques and their ability to discriminate the carotid artery wall and assess adventitia thickness," he said. "Ultrasound has also improved, and we want to be able study cardiovascular risk and carotid artery thickness using these contemporary techniques."
Further studies are planned with the newer technology and in larger population groups.
"Carotid Artery Wall Thickness and Incident Cardiovascular Events: A Comparison between US and MRI in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)." Collaborating with Dr. Wasserman were Yiyi Zhang, Ph.D., Eliseo Guallar, M.D., Dr.PH., Saurabh Malhotra, M.D., M.P.H., Brad C. Astor, Ph.D., M.P.H., Joseph F. Polak, M.D., M.P.H., Ye Qiao, Ph.D., Antoinette S. Gomes, M.D., David M. Herrington, M.D., M.H.S., A. Richey Sharrett, M.D., and David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D.
Radiology is edited by David A. Bluemke, M.D., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc.)/p>
RSNA is an association of over 54,200 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
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