Associations between the Framingham Risk Score and coronary plaque characteristics as assessed by three-vessel optical coherence tomography

Objectives This study sought to explore the association between the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and coronary plaque characteristics assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging. Background Clinical prediction models are useful for identifying high-risk patients. However, coronary events often occur in individuals estimated to be at low risk. Methods A total of 254 patients with coronary artery disease who underwent three-vessel OCT were divided into tertiles according to FRS. Nonculprit plaque characteristics were compared among the three groups. Results A total of 663 plaques were analyzed. FRS was significantly associated with calcification [37% (low FRS) vs. 46% (intermediate FRS) vs. 70% (high FRS); P<0.001] and neovascularization [39% (low FRS) vs. 41% (intermediate FRS) vs. 56% (high FRS); P