Association between blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in healthy adolescents.


METHODS
Study participants included 285 first-year high school students (mean age, 15.2 years) at a rural high school in Korea. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were measured with an oscillometric automated sphygmomanometer. The carotid arteries were evaluated with high-resolution B-mode ultrasound scanning. IMT value was determined with the average of the maximal IMT at each common carotid artery. Increased IMT was defined as sex-specific top quartile. The odds ratio (OR) for increased IMT per 1 SD increase of SBP and DBP was estimated after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, fasting glucose level, and total/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio.


RESULTS
Adjusted OR for increased IMT was 1.70 (P = .003) per 12.4 mm Hg SBP and 1.25 (P = .125) per 7.0 mm Hg DBP. When the analyses were performed by sex, increased IMT was associated with both SBP (OR, 2.67; P = .003) and DBP (OR, 1.68; P = .019) in girls, but it was not associated with either SBP (OR, 1.46; P = .093) or DBP (OR, 0.99; P = .972) in boys.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that higher blood pressure level may be associated with increased carotid IMT in apparently healthy adolescents.
Lim
Sun Min
SM
Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Hyeon Chang
HC
Lee
Hoon Sang
HS
Lee
Joo Young
JY
Suh
Mina
M
Ahn
Song Vogue
SV
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D013599:Systole; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
D001786:Blood Glucose; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol