Characteristics of included Studies
| Author | Year | Study design | Population | Country | Patient number | Sex Men (%) | Age, Mean, y | CMBs | Large artery atherosclerosis | Quality Score | Other principal findings associated with CMBs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRI | Prevalence n (%) | Stenosis>50% n (%) | Mean cIMT mm (mean±SD) | Method | Definition | ||||||||||
| Ochi | 2009 | Cross-sectional | Outpatients | Japan | 443 | 36 | 67.1 | 3 T, GRE | 22 (5.0%) | – | CMB(+):0.85±0.14 CMB(−):0.81±0.15 | B-mode ultrasound | Far wall of the CCA | 11 items (8) | Age, hypertension, baPWV |
| Miwa | 2011 | Cross-sectional | Outpatients, age ≥45 years | Japan | 431 | 52 | 69.3 | 1.5 T, GRE | 65 (15.0%) | – | CMB(+):1.14±0.5 CMB(−):0.99±0.5 | Ultrasound | Near and far walls, bilateral distal CCA, carotid bifurcation, and ICA | 11 items (8) | Age, fasting glucose, hsCRP, IL-6, IL-18 |
| Chung | 2014 | Cross-sectional | Acute ischaemic stroke or TIA | South Korea | 834 | 58 | 66.8 | 3 T, SWI | 335 (40.2%) | 468 (28.1%) | – | CTA | ICA Thick or contiguous calcification ≥50% of vessel diameter and/or ≥1 cm | 11 items (8) | Age, hypertension, hs-CRP |
| Peng | 2014 | Cross-sectional | Acute ischaemic stroke | China | 90 | 61 | 66.4 | 1.5 T, GRE | 30 (33.3%) | 46 (51.1%) | – | TCD, CDUS | ICA,intracranial and extracranial arteries; A visible narrowing (>50%) or significant haemodynamic changes | 11 items (8) | SBP, DBP |
| Song | 2015 | Cross-sectional | Ischaemic stroke | Korea | 220 | 60 | 64.0 | 1.5 T, GRE | 46 (20.9%) | 93 (42.3%) | – | MRA, CTA, DSA | Intracranial and extracranial arteries; Stenosis≥50% | 11 items (8) | Age |
| Tabara | 2015 | Cross-sectional | Healthy middle-aged to elderly individuals | Japan | 1387 | 39 | 67.0 | 3 T, GRE | 92 (6.6%) | – | CMB(+):0.84±0.14 CMB(−):0.79±0.14 | B-mode ultrasound | Far wall, bilateral carotid arteries | 11 items (8) | Age, hypertension, T2DM |
| Ding | 2015 | Prospective | Population-based, age >65 | Iceland | 2512 | 42 | 74.6 | 1.5 T, GRE | 463 (18.4%) | – | CMB(+):0.98±0.14 CMB(−):0.96±0.14 | B-mode ultrasound | Near and far walls, bilateral distal CCA | NOS scale (9) | Age, DBP, MAP, carotid arterial strain, DC, YEM |
| Romero | 2016 | Cohort | Framingham Offspring Study | USA | 1243 | 47 | 56.9 | 1.5 T, GRE | 101 (8.2%) | 20 (1.6%) | – | CDUS | Distal CCA, carotid artery bulb and ICA; Stenosis≥50% | NOS scale (9) | – |
baPWV, brachial-to-ankle pulse wave velocity; CCA, common carotid artery; CDUS, carotid duplex ultrasound; cIMT, carotid intima-media thickness; CTA, CT angiography; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; DC, distensibility coefficient; DSA, digital subtraction angiography; GRE, gradient-recalled echo sequences; hsCRP, high-sensitivity C reactive protein; ICA, internal carotid artery; IL, interleukin; MAP, mean arterial pressure; MRA, MR angiography; NOS scale, Newcastle–Ottawa scale; SBP, systolic blood pressure; SWI, susceptibility-weighted imaging; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; TCD, transcranial Doppler; TIA, transient ischaemic attack; YEM, Young elastic modulus.