1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Saveetha Medical College & Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences, Chennai
2Professor & Head, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, Chhattisgarh
3Assistant Professor, Dept of Pathology, Abhishek I. Mishra Memorial Medical College, Bhilai, Chhattisgarh (CG)
Atherosclerosis begins early in life with arterial plaque formation leading to severe cardiovascular complications. Autopsy studies provide valuable insights into the disease processes contributing to premature morbidity and mortality and to understand the prevalence which is crucial for combating the rising burden of cardiovascular diseases.
The study aims to investigate the prevalence, gross, and histopathological characteristics of atherosclerotic lesions (AHA grading) in the heart and major blood vessels of individuals who underwent autopsies at AIIMS Raipur and to analyse its association with demographic and cardiovascular risk factors.
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 autopsy cases between September 2018 -September 2019 considering socio-demographic characteristics, risk factors, and atherosclerotic lesions which were graded according to the American Heart Association (AHA) criteria.
Atherosclerotic lesions were identified in 71% of cases, with a male predominance (73%) in the age group of 51-60 years (63%). Coronary arteries were most frequently affected (11 cases). The lesions showed a significant association with risk factors namely diabetes mellitus (p=0.008), hypercholesterolemia (p=0.010) and hypertension (p=0.001).
This study highlights a high prevalence of atherosclerotic lesions among autopsy cases and emphasizes the importance of recognizing modifiable risk factors.
Atherosclerosis, Heart, Blood Vessel, Autopsy, Prevalence
