Routine Coronary Angiography in Patients Undergoing Stenting of the Carotid Artery: High Incidence of Significant Coronary Artery Disease

In a 2005 published prospective observational study [1], a coronary angiography was performed in 420 patients undergoing elective stenting of the carotid artery. Coronary artery disease was present in 77 % of the patients. In about half of these patients, significant stenoses were detected without a history of coronary artery disease during the invasive investigation. Single-, two-, three-vessel disease and left main stenoses were found in 70 (17 %), 64 (15 %), 93 (22 %), and 31 (7 %) patients, respectively. As the long-term outcome of patients undergoing carotid artery stenting depends on concomitant coronary artery disease rather than neurological events it can be concluded that routine coronary angiography performed within a single session with carotid artery stenting provides important clues for further treatment and prognosis.