Glagov remodeling of the atherosclerotic aorta demonstrated by cardiovascular magnetic resonance: the CORDA asymptomatic subject plaque assessment research (CASPAR) project.

Background: Aortic atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) are closely linked. Early detection of aortic atherosclerosis with the adoption of appropriate preventive measures may therefore help to reduce mortality and morbidity related to CAD. Arterial remodeling, by which the wall adapts to physiological or pathological insults by a change in vessel size, is being increasingly recognized as an important aspect of atherosclerosis. In this prospective longitudinal study we used cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) to detect aortic plaque and to study aortic wall remodeling in asymptomatic subjects. Methods: We recruited 175 healthy volunteers (49 years, 110 men) and documented their cardiovascular risk profile. Each subject underwent echocardiogram (ECG)‐gated T1‐weighted spin‐echo imaging of the infrarenal abdominal aorta at baseline and after 2 years. Findings: Of the 175 subjects who volunteered at baseline, CMR was successful in 174 (99%), with one (0.6%) failure due to claustrophobia. At 2...