Difference in carotid intima-media thickness between Korean and Japanese men.
OBJECTIVE
Koreans are recently at higher risk for coronary heart disease than are the Japanese. We aimed to evaluate levels of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and coronary risk factors in Korean and Japanese men in the post-World War II birth cohort.


METHODS
We conducted a population-based study of 352 randomly selected healthy men 40 to 49 years of age: 102 Koreans in Ansan City, Gyeonggi-do, Korea and 250 Japanese in Kusatsu City, Shiga, Japan. Imaging carotid IMT by ultrasonography and other procedures were standardized. Analyzing blood samples and reading carotid IMT were performed at the University of Pittsburgh.


RESULTS
Despite more favorable or similar features in coronary risk factors as compared to Japanese men, the Korean men had a higher crude IMT level than the Japanese men (mean +/- standard error, 0.655+/-0.008 mm vs 0.616+/-0.005 mm, respectively, p<0.0001). The difference in the levels of carotid IMT significantly remained after adjusting for metabolic and conventional risk factors (0.654+/-0.008 mm vs. 0.616+/-0.005 mm, respectively; p<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Among men 40 to 49 years of age, Koreans had significantly higher levels of carotid IMT than the Japanese. Factors that underlie the different susceptibility to subclinical atherosclerosis need to be explored.
Choo
Jina
J
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. jinachoo@yahoo.co.kr
Ueshima
Hirotsugu
H
Jang
Yangsoo
Y
Sutton-Tyrrell
Kim
K
El-Saed
Aiman
A
Kadowaki
Takashi
T
Takamiya
Tomoko
T
Okamura
Tomonori
T
Ueno
Yoshiki
Y
Nakamura
Yasuyuki
Y
Sekikawa
Akira
A
Curb
J David
JD
Kuller
Lewis H
LH
Shin
Chol
C
D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography