No relation between excess fatigue and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis.
Prospective studies have reported a positive association of excess fatigue and hopelessness with coronary heart disease mortality; a relation to atherosclerosis has not been investigated. We examined the cross-sectional association of the Maastricht excess fatigue questionnaire with carotid intimal-medial wall thickness among 12,448 coronary heart disease-free individuals age 47-68 years. In age-, race-, and field center-adjusted analyses, we found a strong, positive association between excess fatigue and carotid intimal-medial wall thickness in both sexes. Adjustment for other coronary heart disease risk factors substantially attenuated the relation. Pack-years of smoking was the strongest confounder. Furthermore, there was little association among never-smokers. It appears that the association of excess fatigue with atherosclerotic disease is largely accounted for by established risk factors.
Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454-1015, USA.
P G
PG
McGovern
E
E
Shahar
A R
AR
Folsom
W D
WD
Rosamond
D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors