Carotid artery intimal-medial thickness: indicator of atherosclerotic burden and response to risk factor modification.
BACKGROUND
A number of studies have used B-mode ultrasound to measure carotid intimal-medial thickness as an indicator of the severity of carotid atherosclerosis.


METHODS
We reviewed the available data on carotid intimal-medial thickness in defining severity of atherosclerosis, with the use of high-quality studies that addressed clinical end points.


RESULTS
Data from multiple studies demonstrate a high degree of reproducibility in measurements of intimal-medial thickness. A number of agents that include 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and insulin sensitizers reduce carotid intimal-medial thickness and cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke.


CONCLUSIONS
In this review article, various methods of measuring carotid intimal-medial thickness are examined and critiqued. In addition, the effects of various lifestyle modifications and therapeutic agents on intimal-medial thickness and cardiovascular end points are evaluated.
Mukherjee
Debabrata
D
Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich, USA.
Yadav
Jay S
JS
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents