Coronary artery disease reporting and data system (CAD-RADS), vascular inflammation and plaque vulnerability

Coronary artery disease reporting and data system (CAD-RADS) predicts future cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, information on vascular inflammation and vulnerability remains scarce.Patients who underwent coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) prior to coronary intervention were enrolled. All three coronary arteries were evaluated for CAD-RADS score and pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation, while the culprit vessel was analyzed for plaque vulnerability by OCT.A total of 385 patients with 915 lesions were divided into two groups based on CAD-RADS score: 103 (26.8%) were categorized as CAD-RADS 4b/5 and 282 (73.2%) as CAD-RADS ≤4a. Patients with CAD-RADS 4b/5 had a higher level of PCAT attenuation (mean of 3 coronary arteries) than those with CAD-RADS ≤4a (-68.4 ​± ​6.7 HU vs. -70.1 ​± ​6.5, P ​= ​0.022). The prevalence of macrophage was higher, and lipid index was greater in patients with CAD-RADS 4b/5 than CAD-RADS ≤4a (94.2% vs. 83.0%, P ​= ​0.004, 1845 vs. 1477; P ​= ​0.003). These associations were significant in the culprit vessels of patients with chronic coronary syndrome but not in those with acute coronary syndromes.Higher CAD-RADS score was associated with higher levels of vascular inflammation and plaque vulnerability.