Carotid artery measures are strongly associated with left ventricular mass in older adults (a report from the Cardiovascular Health Study).
Associations of carotid artery diameter and intimal-medial thickness by ultrasound with echocardiographic left ventricular (LV) structure were examined in 3,409 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a population-based study of risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke in men and women aged > or = 65 years. At baseline, sector-guided M-mode echocardiography and B-mode ultrasound were used to evaluate the left ventricle and carotid arteries, respectively. Common carotid artery diameter and intimal-medial thickness were significantly related to LV mass in correlational analysis (r=0.40 and 0.20, respectively, p<0.01), and each was independently associated with LV mass after adjustment for age, gender, weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication use, prior coronary heart disease, electrocardiographic abnormalities, high-density lipoprotein, and factor VII. We speculate that changes in the arterial wall affect impedance to LV ejection leading to increases in LV mass. Further follow-up of this cohort is in progress and will help to determine whether such carotid artery measures could, by exacerbating LV hypertrophy, constitute another important risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Kronmal
R A
RA
Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Smith
V E
VE
O'Leary
D H
DH
Polak
J F
JF
Gardin
J M
JM
Manolio
T A
TA
D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography