title: High red blood cell distribution width and preclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preclinical carotid atherosclerosis is associated with future risk of stroke. Data regarding the correlation between carotid atherosclerosis and biomarkers, which might predict the risk for the disease has been inconsistent and conflicting. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is also related to adverse clinical outcomes. Studies examining the relationship between RDW and preclinical and clinical carotid atherosclerosis were non-conclusive.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the association between RDW and preclinical carotid atherosclerosis in a large heterogeneous cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent Doppler ultrasound of the common carotid artery and Carotid Intima Media Thickness (CIMT). Advanced CIMT software analyzed over 100 samples in each exam. Blood samples for RDW were obtained on the same day. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the correlation between RDW and preclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and twenty-two consecutive patients were included, with a mean age of 6.6 ± 11. A cut-off value of 14.1% was used to differentiate between high and low RDW groups. The higher RDW group (RDW above 14.1%) was significantly older and with more cardiovascular risk factors. In a multivariate analysis, in all the patients including those treated by lipid modifying therapies, high RDW was significantly associated with advanced CIMT (OR = 2.35, CI 95% 1.28-4.30, p = 0.006). This association remained significant in subgroups of non-diabetic patients as well as patients not treated by lipid modifying drugs. RDW was also associated with significant carotid artery stenosis (OR = 1.77, CI 95% 1.12-2.82, p = 0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High RDW correlates with increased risk for preclinical and clinical carotid atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .|b Department of Internal Medicine "T" , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel , and.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halkin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Miri
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Revivo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .|b Department of Internal Medicine "T" , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel , and.
authors.forename: Meital
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuzut
authors.affiliation: c Department of Internal Medicine "D" and "E" , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel.
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herz
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solodukhin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Hadas
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ofer
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keren
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banai
authors.affiliation: a Department of Cardiology , Tel Aviv Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel .
authors.forename: Yaron
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arbel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D008055:Lipids
keywords: Biomarkers; CIMT; HbA1c; RDW; carotid disease; coronary artery disease; fibrinogen; glucose; hs-CRP; inflammation