Carotid Artery Diameter Correlates With Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in a Population of 55-Year-Old Subjects

Abstract

Background and Purpose —We investigated whether, in a randomly selected population of 55-year-old men and women, there is a relationship between common carotid artery (CCA) diameter and intima-media (IM) thickness and conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as gender, smoking, elevated blood lipids, and high blood pressure. Methods —CCA diameter and IM thickness of the distal right and left CCAs were measured by high-frequency ultrasound methods. Fifty-seven men (73% of the invited men) and 47 women (62% of the invited women) participated. Results —In the whole group the CCA diameter was correlated with gender ( P <0.001), cholesterol ( P =0.007), triglycerides ( P <0.001), apoB ( P <0.001), apoB/A-1 ( P <0.001), systolic blood pressure ( P =0.001), and glucose ( P =0.006). HDL was inversely correlated with mean CCA diameter ( P =0.003). In men the CCA diameter was correlated with a combined risk factor score ( P =0.005), systolic blood pressure ( P =0.011), platelet count ( P =0.033), apoB ( P =0.025), and occurrence of plaque ( P =0.003). In women the CCA diameter was correlated with a combined risk factor score ( P =0.010), systolic blood pressure ( P =0.033), body mass index ( P <0.001), cholesterol ( P =0.009), triglycerides ( P =0.14), apoB ( P =0.002), and apoB/A1 ( P =0.003). IM thickness was correlated with systolic blood pressure ( P <0.001). Conclusions —There are correlations between risk factors for cardiovascular disease and carotid artery diameter and IM thickness in both women and men in a population of 55-year-old subjects. The increased vessel diameter in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors may be a sign of attenuated vasoregulation, which could be an important factor during the development of atherosclerosis.