title: Risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.
abstract: We assessed the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in 412 men from eastern Finland aged 42, 48, 54 or 60 years at examination with B-mode ultrasonography in 1987 in the Kuopi ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD). Thirty-seven per cent of participants had intimal-medial thickening, 10% had plaques and 2% had stenosis. Age (P less than 0.001), cigarette-years (P less than 0.001), serum LDL cholesterol (P = 0.005), low income (P = 0.020) and low alcohol consumption (P = 0.048) had significant partial associations with the severity of carotid atherosclerosis. A linear regression model including these variables and plasma fibrinogen (NS) and serum HDL-cholesterol (NS) accounted for 33% of the variation in atherosclerosis severity. Our data provide further evidence on the role of smoking and LDL-cholesterol in atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and General Practice, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Salonen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seppänen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rauramaa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014463:Ultrasonography