Abstract
BACKGROUND: There may be severe difficulties in determining the severity of LMCA (left main coronary artery) lesions. The use of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) facilitates decisions about lesion severity in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the UHR (uric acid to HDL-C ratio) and lesion severity in patients who underwent LMCA IVUS. METHODS: This study included 205 patients with ICS (intermediate coronary stenosis) in the LMCA who underwent IVUS. In the IVUS measurements of these patients, the plaque burden (PB) and the minimal lumen area (MLA) showing lesion severity were measured. RESULTS: The patients were separated into two groups according to plaque burden (< 65% and ≥ 65%). The UHR was significantly greater in the high plaque burden group (479.5 vs. 428.6, P = 0.001). When the patients were separated into two groups according to the MLA (< 6mm(2) and ≥ 6mm(2)), the UHR was determined to be significantly greater in the group with low MLA (476.8 vs. 414.9, P < 0.001). In the ROC analysis performed according to the MLA and plaque burden values, the UHR cutoff value of 450 was found to have similar sensitivity and the same specificity for both parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggested that there is a relationship between UHR and MLA < 6mm(2) and plaque burden ≥ 65%, which are independently evaluated as critical in IVUS, and this could predict anatomically significant lesions in patients with a moderate degree of LMCA stricture.