[Preclinical atherosclerosis in a group of young subjects with type 1 diabetes from a Mediterranean area].
OBJECTIVE
Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and presence of atherosclerotic plaques were evaluated in a cross-sectional study performed in a group of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) subjects from a Mediterranean area without additional cardiovascular risk factors. These results were compared to those obtained from a reference population.


METHODS
Twenty-two patients with T1D (age 34.6 (7.9) years) and a disease duration of 15.3 (5.9) years) were included. B-mode IMT measurements were used to evaluate cIMT and the presence of plaques.


RESULTS
A significantly higher cIMT and max-cIMT were found in patients with T1D in comparison with the age-reference population (0.52 (0.08) vs. 0.46 (0.09)mm; p<0.001 and 0.63 (0.13) vs. 0.55 (0.12); p<0.007 for cIMT and max-cIMT, respectively). The proportion of subjects affected by plaques within the group of T1D subjects was equivalent to the value observed in the 46-55 year-old reference group.


CONCLUSIONS
Even in the absence of major cardiovascular risk factors, subjects with T1D from a low prevalence CVD risk area display signs of an increased and accelerated preclinical atherosclerotic process.
Giménez
Marga
M
Servicio de Endocrinología y Diabetes, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Hospital Clínic i Universitari, Barcelona, España.
Gilabert
Rosa
R
Conget
Ignacio
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology