title: Carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular health metrics in old subjects from the AGES-Reykjavik study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ideal cardiovascular (CV) health by simultaneous presence of 7 ideal health metrics (blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, smoking, BMI, physical activity and diet) has been defined by the American Heart Association. In the current study we investigated the association of a CV health score (range 0-14), on the extent and progression of carotid atherosclerosis, assessed as carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and total plaque area (TPA) by ultrasound at 5 years interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 219 participants (age 75.6 ± 5.1) from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik study were studied. Men with poor (low) CV health score had greater TPA than those with more optimal (high) score (61.5 (SD: 32.3), 44.4 (24.2) and 37.7 (23.2) mm(2) for those with CV health score ≤6, 7-9 and ≥10 respectively, p < 0.05). In linear analysis for men, log TPA was 0.088 mm(2) (SE: 0.040 p < 0.05) smaller for each additional point in the CV health score. CV health score was not associated with TPA in women, or cIMT in either sex. TPA increased in both sexes between visits. However, CV health score did not predict carotid atherosclerosis progression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CV health score is associated with TPA in older men but not in women. Men with poor CV health score at the baseline visit had more extensive carotid atherosclerosis than those with better CV health score, although it did not predict the progression of carotid atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland; University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturlaugsdottir
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland; University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Thor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aspelund
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Gudlaug
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bjornsdottir
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sigurdur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sigurdsson
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland.
authors.forename: Gudny
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Eiriksdottir
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland; University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Cindy Mari
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lenore J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Launer
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Tamara B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Icelandic Heart Association, Kopavogur, Iceland; University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland. Electronic address: v.gudnason@hjarta.is.
authors.forename: Vilmundur
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gudnason
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cardiovascular health score; Carotid arteries; Imaging