Risk factors associated with the carotid intima-media thickness and plaques: ESPREDIA Study

Abstract Objective To evaluate whether there were any differences in the risk factor profile associated with either the intima-media thickness (IMT) or the presence of carotid plaques. Methods Cross-sectional study in 1475 subjects between 45 and 75 years, randomly selected from the population of the Northwest area of Madrid (Spain). They had a physical exam, blood analysis, and ultrasound measurement of the IMT and of the presence of plaques. Results Mean IMT was 0.725 ± 0.132 mm. Forty seven percent of the participants had carotid plaques. In multivariate analysis, factors directly associated with the IMT were, age ( β  0.227, p β  0.104, p β  0.082, p  = 0.002), diabetes ( β  0.130, p β  0.107, p β  0.219, p β  0.074, p  = 0.003), and inversely, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ( β  −0.124, p  = 0.001), HDL-cholesterol ( β  −0.111, p β  −0.060, p  = 0.028). The presence of plaques was directly associated with age (OR 1.08; 95% CI: 1.05–1.10), sex (OR 1.95; 95% CI: 1.52–2.51), current smoking (OR 2.75; 95% CI: 1.92–3.95), history of hypertension (OR 1.58; 95% CI: 1.22–2.04) or diabetes (OR 1.84; 95% CI: 1.31–2.58), statin treatment (OR 1.56; 95% CI: 1.19–2.04) and SBP (OR 1.03; 95% CI: 1.02–1.05), and inversely with DBP (OR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–0.99). Conclusion Factors associated with the IMT and the presence of plaques are similar, a finding that support a continuum between muscular layer hypertrophy and arteriosclerosis development.