Heinsen LJ, Pararajasingam G, Andersen TR, et al. - A high prevalence of high-risk coronary artery plaque (HRP) was found in this asymptomatic type 2 diabetes population. The presence of HRP was associated with a specific patient profile, but the absence of coronary artery calcium did not rule it out. The information provided by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) on plaque morphology can be used to risk-stratify this high-risk cohort.

• CCTA was shown to be diagnostic in 230 cases, and 161 HRP were found in 86 patients.

• Glycated hemoglobin, male gender, and tobacco exposure in pack-years were all found to be independent predictors of HRP.

• There was no evidence of a link to other risk variables. HRP was not linked to a higher coronary artery calcium score (CACS), while 13 of the patients who had no CACS had at least one HRP.