Ethnic differences in coronary plaque burden and characteristics: A matched CCTA cohort study of South Asians and...

South Asians (SA) experience a significantly higher incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) events compared to non-Hispanic whites (NHW). However, detailed plaque characteristics in SA, particularly assessed through quantitative coronary plaque analysis using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), remain under-investigated. This study aimed to compare the characteristics of coronary plaque burden between SA and NHW using CCTA.

In this cross-sectional study, we identified 165 SA subjects at our institution who underwent CCTA and matched them 1:1 for age, sex, BMI and diabetes mellitus with NHW. Quantitative coronary plaque analysis was reported by plaque subtypes in percent atheroma volume (PAV) and absolute plaque volumes. Kruskall-Wallis test was used to analyze the plaque volumes and PAV between the matched cohorts.

A total of 330 subjects (mean age: 65 ± 9.9 years; 74 % male; 32 % with diabetes) formed the study population. SA had higher total plaque PAV (median [IQR]: 11.9 [4.4, 22.0] vs. 6.2 [2.4, 14.2]), NCP PAV (5.1 [3.2, 8.1] vs. 3.8 [1.8, 6.5]), and calcified plaque PAV (4.9 [1.4, 12.7] vs. 2.4 [0.3, 7.5]) than NHW (p < 0.0001). Differences were significant for those under 55 and 65 years but not in those ≥65, except for calcified plaque PAV when stratified by age.

Younger SA (<55 years) exhibited higher total, non-calcified, and calcified plaque burden compared to NHW, suggesting earlier CAD risk. CCTA may aid early detection and support aggressive prevention strategies in this high-risk population.