title: Association between blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Hyeon Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hoon Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Joo Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Song Vogue
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol