Relation between physiological variation of renal function and carotid intima media thickness in non-diabetic individuals.
OBJECTIVE
Moderate to severe renal insufficiency and albuminuria have been shown to be independent risk factors for atherosclerosis. However, the association between renal function and intima media thick-ness (IMT) in non-diabetic individuals is less clear. We therefore investigated the relation between renal function, established cardiovascular risk factors and carotid intima media thickness in non-diabetic individuals.


METHODS
853 non-diabetic participants were included in this project. Renal function was estimated using the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formulae, a refit MDRD equation for healthy persons (MDRD-1) or the Jellife 2 formula, an age independent estimate of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Carotid arterial intima-media thickness was measured at the posterior wall of the common carotid artery and the bulbus (IMT(ACC), IMTB(Bulbus)).


RESULTS
Weak correlations between IMT(ACC) or IMTB(Bulbus) and MDRD were found (r=-0.105, p= 0.002; r=-0.127, p<0.001). and similiar results were found for MDRD-1. However, adjustment of that relation for age modified the picture. While age was an independent predictor, MDRD or MDRD-1 were not further informative. Further adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors confirmed that relation. Correspondingly, GFR estimated by the age-independent formula Jellife 2 was not correlated with IMT.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that variation of renal function within the normal range is not independently associated with carotid intima media thickness in non-diabetic individuals. Crude correlations between MDRD and IMT appear to reflect the inter-relation among age, eGFR and IMT.
Bobbert
Thomas
T
Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Charité-Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany.
Mai
Knut
K
Fischer-Rosinský
Antje
A
Osterhoff
Martin
M
Pfeiffer
Andreas F H
AF
Spranger
Joachim
J
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology*