Coronary atherosclerosis is already ongoing in pre-diabetic status: Insight from intravascular imaging modalities

Figure 4 Representative images of diabetes patients. A-D: No angiographic stenosis was observed in the right coronary artery (A), whereas 3 yellow plaques were identified on angioscopy (B-D). The yellow intensity of these plaques was defined as grades 2, 1, and 2, respectively; E-G: Significant stenosis was not observed in the left circumflex artery (E), whereas 2 yellow plaques were identified on angioscopy (F and G). The yellow intensity of both of these plaques was evaluated as grade 3 (intense yellow); H: A 50% stenosis and a 90% stenosis were identified on angiography in the middle part of the left ascending artery; I and J: According to angioscopic findings, both these lesions were evaluated as light yellow plaques (grade 1). In this case, the average number of yellow plaques per vessel was 2.33 (7 yellow plaques in 3 vessels), and the maximum yellow grade per coronary artery was 3.