Lack of difference in the intimal medial thickness between the left and right carotid arteries in the young.
BACKGROUND
Carotid intimal medial thickening (c-IMT) is an established surrogate marker for atherosclerosis. There have been sporadic reports about an increase of c-IMT on the left carotid artery among populations with a mean age of +/-50 years.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether there is a difference in c-IMT between the two carotid arteries in a group of young healthy adults.


METHODS
Ninety-eight healthy adults with a mean age of 28 years underwent blood tests to evaluate various cardiovascular risk factors as well as automated ultrasonic measurements of their c-IMT on both carotid arteries.


RESULTS
No significant difference was noted between c-IMT on both sides. In fact, the c-IMT on left carotid artery in men (n = 52) was 0.625 +/- 0.078 mm while on the right carotid it was 0.626 +/- 0.075 mm (P = 0.884). The values for women (n = 46) were 0.615 +/- 0.059 mm and for men 0.622 +/- 0.0618 mm (P = 0.582), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
As opposed to a noted increase of c-IMT on the left carotid artery in older individuals, we did not find this difference in a group of young and relatively healthy adults. It is possible that if mechanical stress forces contribute to an enhanced left c-IMT, it takes a relatively long time to become evident.
Arbel
Y
Y
Department of Medicine D, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine Tel Aviv University, 5 Weizman Street, 64239 Tel Aviv, Israel.
Maharshak
N
N
Gal-Oz
A
A
Shapira
I
I
Berliner
S
S
Bornstein
N M
NM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology