Objective To explore the non-invasive diagnosis of atherosclerosis in patients with suspected coronary artery disease with cardiac CT combined with carotid artery ultrasound(US).Methods A total of 107 patients(64 males,age 59±12 years)with atypical chest pain in our hospital between April 2022 and April 2024 were selected.The patients underwent cardiac CT(CCT)and carotid US to evaluate the severity(obstructive or non-obstructive),location,shape,and composition of atherosclerotic plaques.Results Normal coronary artery accounted for 36%(n=38)and normal carotid artery accounted for 53%(n=57).There were plaques in both arterial regions in 35 patients(33%),but only 2 patients had obstructive stenosis in the both regions.The average carotid intima-media thickness(CIMT)was(1.0±0.3)mm and 27 patients had CIMT<0.9 mm.When CIMT was ≥0.9,there was no statistically significant difference in coronary artery plaque between patients with and without coronary heart disease(P>0.05).The coronary artery plaque was located at the entrance of the artery in 7%(n=5)of the patients,at non-entrance sites in 29%(n=20),and in both sites in 64%(n=44).The carotid artery plaque was located at the starting point of the internal or external carotid artery in 56%(n=28)of the patients,at the bifurcation in 20%(n=10),and at the bifurcation in 24%(n=12)(P<0.05).In the coronary artery region,96%(n=66)and in the carotid artery,92%(n=46)of the plaques had eccentric morphology(P>0.05).25%(n=17)of the coronary artery plaques were calcified,19%(n=13)were non-calcified,and 56%(n=39)were mixed;8%(n=4)of the carotid artery plaques were calcified,8%(n=4)were non-calcified,and 84%(n=42)were mixed(P<0.05).Non-obstructive coronary artery disease was present in 36%(n=39)of the patients,while obstructive coronary artery disease was present in 28%(n=30);non-obstructive disease was present in 44%(n=47),while obstructive disease was present in 3%(n=3)(P<0.05).Conclusion Atherosclerotic disease presents different imaging manifestations by Cardiac CT combined with carotid US in coronary and carotid areas in terms of lesion severity,location along the vessel and plaque composition.