title: Cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis in young women: atherosclerosis risk factors in female youngsters (ARFY study).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little research has been conducted into risk factors of atherosclerosis development in young women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study enrolled 205 18- to 22-year-old female students from the Educational Centre for Allied Health Professions. A broad array of risk conditions and lifestyle behaviors was carefully assessed. Intima media thickness (IMT) was used as a well-established surrogate for atherosclerosis and a predictor of vascular risk. High IMT was defined as levels exceeding the 90th percentile in the common and/or internal carotid arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariable logistic regression analysis, systolic blood pressure, family history for hypertension, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, T-cell immune reaction against human heat shock protein 60, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and exhaust gases emerged as independent predictors of high IMT. Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and classical risk factors other than high blood pressure were rare and unrelated to IMT. Findings were similar once focusing on IMT as a continuous variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In female youngsters displaying initiating stages of vascular pathology, blood pressure level and numerous nontraditional risk conditions showed a significant relation to high IMT. Our study indicates that (auto)immune processes, high lipoprotein(a), and environmental exposure to tobacco smoke and traffic exhaust may play a role in early atherogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. Michael.Knoflach@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Knoflach
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiechl
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Penz
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zangerle
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schmidauer
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossmann
authors.forename: Mahavir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shingh
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spallek
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Griesmacher
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bernhard
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robatscher
authors.forename: Waltraud
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Buchberger
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Draxl
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willeit
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018834:Chaperonin 60 / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D018834:Chaperonin 60