Factors associated with gender difference in the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the gender differences associated with a thinner intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) in women.


METHODS
In a sample of 218 consecutive healthy volunteers comprising 110 men and 108 women, the IMT of the CCA was measured using B-mode ultrasonography. Blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), blood lipid profile, homocysteine, folic acid, uric acid, high sensitive C-reactive protein, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels were measured and compared with each other in both genders.


RESULTS
The IMT of the CCA was significantly thinner in women than in men (p=0.012). Blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, BMI, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, homocysteine, uric acid, and TBARS were significantly (p<0.05) lower, folic acid and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were significantly (p<0.0001) higher in women compared with men. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that higher serum levels of homocysteine, uric acid, and TBARS, and lower serum levels of HDL-C were significantly (p<0.05) associated with male sex. Multiple linear regression analysis further revealed that age, sex, and BMI were independently associated with CCA IMT.


CONCLUSIONS
The IMT of the CCA was thinner in women than in men. Traditional vascular risk factors explain only a small amount of variance in multivariate regression models supporting the hypothesis that other behavioural, sex hormone-related or genetic factors, which have not been sufficiently explored so far, may play a role in the gender differences of IMT.
Tan
T-Y
TY
Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Lu
C-H
CH
Lin
T-K
TK
Liou
C-W
CW
Chuang
Y-C
YC
Schminke
U
U
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein