title: [The prevalence and risk factors of carotid atherosclerosis in elderly patients].
abstract: To assess the prevalence of extracranial carotid artery atherosclerosis and its relation to principal cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese elderly patients, 100 cases aged from 54 to 94 were investigated with B-mode ultrasonography. Arterial intima-media thickening, plaque, mild stenosis (defined as a plaque that obstructed > 20% of the lumen diameter), and clinically significant stenosis (> 50% in cross-sectional area) were found in 79, 49, 40 and 3 patients, respectively. There was no significant correlation between carotid atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diabetes. In contrast, the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis was increased with age (P < 0.05), so did the severity. Thus, age is a major risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography