The Study
SPECT/CT imaging of inflammation and calcification in human carotid atherosclerosis to identify the plaque at risk of rupture
This study looked at pieces of clogged arteries taken from people who had surgery. It found that when there's little calcium in the plaque, there's often more inflammation — and that might mean it's more dangerous. But it didn't follow anyone over time, so we don't know if this actually leads to strokes.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Some artery plaques look safe because they're calcified, but others that look empty can be ticking time bombs because they're full of inflammation.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 537 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—these hidden inflamed plaques are more likely to rupture and cause strokes, even if they don't show up on standard calcification scans.
- 222% of plaque segments had no calcification; half of those had high inflammation, and 70% were high-risk fibrous cap plaques.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Nuclear Cardiology
Year
2021
Authors
K. van der Heiden, H. Barrett, E. J. Meester, K. van Gaalen, B. Krenning, F. Beekman, E. de Blois, J. de Swart, H. Verhagen, A. van der Lugt, J. Norenberg, M. de Jong, M. Bernsen, F. Gijsen
Related Content
Claims (6)
In human carotid artery plaques, a specific sheet-like calcium pattern at the outer edge is consistently found only in plaques with a fibrous cap atheroma structure.
In human carotid plaques, areas with the highest inflammation are different from areas with the highest calcification.
In human carotid arteries, diffuse calcification occurs alongside a fibrocalcific plaque structure and low inflammation, and this combination is found in stable, advanced atherosclerosis rather than in plaques that are likely to rupture.
Human carotid plaques without calcification show higher levels of leukocyte-driven inflammation and a fibrous cap atheroma structure, which are histologically associated with a higher risk of rupture.
In human carotid plaques, the amount of calcium detected by imaging does not consistently indicate how much inflammation is present, because plaques with the same calcium levels can have very different amounts of inflammation.
Calcium buildup in artery plaques makes them less likely to break open.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.