The intima media thickness and coronary risk factors

Background. Aim: to estimate the degree of atherosclerosis in the carotids with different measurements of the intima media thickness (IMT), obtained by ultrasound and to analyze the correlations of these measures to coronary risk factors. Methods. Design and participants: 130 employed men and women volunteered after public announcement. Measures: health and life-style were charted using a comprehensive questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements, and blood pressure after 10 min of rest were obtained at clinical examination. Blood tests included analyses for fibrinogen, cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol. The IMT was measured bilaterally three times at the transition of a. carotis to bulbus as well as on a. carotis 0.5 cm proximal thereto. Analyses were conducted with four methodologically different ways of expressing IMT as the dependent variable: IMT(left), IMT(communis), IMT(mean) and IMT(max). Results. Among the measurements of IMT, IMT(max) showed the strongest correlations to coronary risk factors, significantly associated with sex and age. In univariate analyses only the degree of physical activity in the leisure time correlated significantly to IMT(max) among men. When adjusted for age, HDL-cholesterol, BMI, systolic blood pressure and physical activity in leisure time in a multiple linear regression analysis IMT(max) showed significant correlations to physical activity in leisure time and systolic blood pressure among men older than 45 years. Among women IMT(max) was significantly correlated to HDL-cholesterol (inversely), which remained significant in the multiple regression analysis including the same factors as for men. Conclusions. IMT(max) among four measures of IMT showed the strongest associations to coronary risk factors in otherwise healthy individuals.