title: Relation of carotid intima-media thickness and aortic valve sclerosis (from the ISMIR study ["Ispessimento Medio Intimale e Rischio Cardiovascolare"] of the Italian Society of Cardiovascular Echography).
abstract: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) have recently emerged as important predictive factors for cardiovascular (CV) events. However, few data are available on their association and the respective roles of major CV risk factors in determining either condition. In this study, 479 asymptomatic subjects (mean age 58 +/- 13 years, 62% men) were assessed, without histories of CV disease, consecutively referred for comprehensive evaluations by echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography because of the presence of > or = 1 risk factor. Common carotid artery IMT and aortic valve morphology and function were analyzed. The mean IMT was 0.82 +/- 0.19 mm. The prevalence of increased carotid IMT (>0.80 mm) and AVS was 60.8% and 18.4%, respectively. The prevalence of increased IMT was 79.6% in subjects with AVS and 56.5% in those without AVS (relative risk 2.99, 95% confidence interval 1.72 to 5.21, p <0.001). On multivariate analysis, increased IMT was significantly and independently associated with hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, family history of CV disease, and age. Only age emerged as an independent predictor of AVS. The presence of both markers was independently associated only with hypertension and age. In conclusion, increased carotid IMT was strongly associated with AVS in a population of asymptomatic patients. IMT and AVS were differently related to individual CV risk factors, and their association seems to be correlated mainly with age and hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, ARC, S. Maria Degli Angeli Hospital, Pordenone, Italy. cardiologia@aopn.fvg.it
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Antonini-Canterin
authors.forename: Vitantonio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Bello
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Salvo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: La Carrubba
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellieni
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benedetto
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perticone
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maio
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balbarini
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzano
authors.forename: Scipione
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carerj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D012598:Sclerosis; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography