title: Visceral adiposity and subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy young men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerosis begins in childhood and develops silently for decades before clinical events such as myocardial infarction or stroke occur. Only few studies have evaluated the relationship between CVD risk factors and carotid artery Intimal Media Thickness (IMT) in young asymptomatic people.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors for cardiovascular disease associated with higher Carotid Intimal Media Thickness (IMT) in healthy young subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of 106 healthy young men, mean age 21 ± 2 years (mean ± SD), BMI 24.4 ± 2.8 (kg/m(2)), on military duty, participated in this cross-sectional study. Waist circumference, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), blood pressure, and plasma concentrations of relevant metabolic parameters were measured at fasting. Smoking and habitual dietary patterns were evaluated by a semiquantitative questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The population was divided into two groups on the basis of IMT values: the lowest three quartiles versus the highest quartile (cut-off value = 0.7 mm). BMI, waist circumference, systolic (SBP), and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure were significantly higher in the group with higher IMT (p = 0.02). All other variables, including dietary parameters and smoking, were similar in the two groups. Data analysis showed that IMT values correlated positively with SBP (r = 0.22; p = 0.025), DBP (r = 0.27; p = 0.005), waist circumference (r = 0.29; p = 0.002), and fat mass (r = 0.24; p = 0.01), and negatively with kcal/kg of body weight (r = -0.220.22; p = 0.022) - an indirect marker of physical activity. Based on multiple regression analysis, waist circumference and DBP were the only variables independently associated with IMT (p = 0.029).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a non-selected sample of healthy young adult males, a larger waist circumference and a higher diastolic blood pressure - albeit within normal values - are the only parameters independently associated with higher IMT.
authors.affiliation: IRPPS - Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies of National Research Council , Penta di Fisciano (SA) , Italy .
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Clemente
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Rosalba
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giacco
authors.forename: Antonietta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tornatore
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragucci
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riccardi
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Atherosclerosis; nutrition; obesity