J Cardiovasc Ultrasound.  2016 Mar;24(1):48-54. 10.4250/jcu.2016.24.1.48.

The Clinical Significance of Separate Measurements of Carotid Arterial Wall to Assess the Risk Factor for Atherosclerosis

• Kim JH
• Youn HJ
• Kim GH
• Moon KW
• Yoo KD
• Kim CM

• KMID: 2160995
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4250/jcu.2016.24.1.48

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is associated with several risk factors for atherosclerosis and has been consistently linked to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. The clinical significance of separate measurements of CIMT, which is the sum of the intima (IT) and media thickness (MT), to use as an assessment of risk for atherosclerosis has not yet been fully established.
METHODS
Among 3377 patients who underwent B-mode ultrasound of carotid arteries and coronary angiography in the Medical Department of St. Mary's Hospital from September 2003 to March 2009, 1146 subjects (M:F = 616:530; mean age, 57.7 ± 12.1 years) who were diagnosed with normal coronary arteries were enrolled in this study. IT, MT, and CIMT of the enrolled patients were manually measured using high-frequency ultrasonography (15 MHz linear array transducer).
RESULTS
In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (β = 0.063, p < 0.0001), body mass index (BMI) (β = 0.028, p = 0.018), and hypertension (HTN) (β = 0.046, p = 0.0002) were associated with MT (R2 = 0.256) and the IT/MT ratio (R2 = 0.209). Age (β = 0.065, p < 0.0001), BMI (β = 0.025, p = 0.038), hemoglobin A1c (β = 0.045, p = 0.045), and HTN (β = 0.043, p = 0.0006) correlated with mean CIMT (R2 = 0.230). Age (β = -0.071, p < 0.0001) and BMI (β = -0.046, p = 0.002) were associated with the IT/MT ratio (R2 = 0.219) on the left side. Age (β = 0.093, p < 0.0001) was related to MT (R2 = 0.265) and mean CIMT (R2 = 0.243) on the left side.
CONCLUSION
We noted different atherosclerotic risk factors were related to measurements of the arterial wall in different ways. Therefore, separate measurements of CIMT might be a useful method to assess the risk for atherosclerosis.

Keyword

Carotid intima and media thickness; Separate measurement; Atherosclerosis

MeSH Terms

Atherosclerosis*
Body Mass Index
Carotid Arteries
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Vessels
Humans
Hypertension
Logistic Models
Risk Factors*
Ultrasonography

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Separate measurement of carotid IMT. A: True longitudinal plane simultaneously demonstrating double lines on the near and far walls of the common carotid artery. B: IMT, MT, and IT measured on far walls of the common carotid artery. IMT: intima-media thickness, MT: media thickness, IT: intima thickness.

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