Common carotid intima-media thickness is predictive of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly community-dwelling people: Longitudinal Investigation for the Longevity and Aging in Hokkaido County (LILAC) study.
Several cohort studies have examined the association of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) with the risk of stroke or myocardial infarction in apparently healthy persons. We investigated the predictive value of IMT of cardiovascular mortality in elderly community-dwelling people, beyond the prediction provided by age and MMSE, assessed by means of a multivariate Cox model. Carotid IMT and plaque were evaluated bilaterally with ultrasonography in 298 people older than 75 years (120 men and 178 women, average age: 79.6 years). The LILAC study started on July 25, 2000. Consultations were repeated every year. The follow-up ended on November 30, 2004. During the mean follow-up span of 1152 days, 30 subjects (21 men and nine women) died. Nine deaths were attributable to cardiovascular causes (myocardial infarction: two men and three women; stroke: two men and two women). The age- and MMSE-adjusted relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of developing all-cause mortality was assessed. A 0.3 mm increase in left IMT was associated with a RR of predicted 1.647 (1.075-2.524), and a similar increase in right IMT with a RR of 3.327 (1.429-7.746). For cardiovascular mortality, the corresponding RR values were 2.351 (1.029-5.372) and 2.890 (1.059-7.891), respectively. Carotid IMT assessed by ultrasonography is positively associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death in elderly community-dwelling people.
Murakami
S
S
Department of Medicine, Medical Center East, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Nishiogu 2-1-10, Arakawa, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan.
Otsuka
K
K
Hotta
N
N
Yamanaka
G
G
Kubo
Y
Y
Matsuoka
O
O
Yamanaka
T
T
Shinagawa
M
M
Nunoda
S
S
Nishimura
Y
Y
Shibata
K
K
Takasugi
E
E
Nishinaga
M
M
Ishine
M
M
Wada
T
T
Okumiya
K
K
Matsubayashi
K
K
Yano
S
S
Ichihara
K
K
Cornélissen
G
G
Halberg
F
F
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales