title: Normal values for intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery--an update following a novel risk factor profiling.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a widely approved influence of novel risk factors like the body fat distribution and the associated metabolic syndrome, subclinical inflammation, insulin resistance and prediabetic disturbances in glucose metabolism on the progression of atherosclerosis. Former studies examining normal values for intima-media thickness (IMT) did not consider all of these new study results in detail. We therefore aimed to assess an update on age- and gender-specific normal values for IMT accounting for these novel risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated IMT by high-resolution ultrasound (13 MHz) on the far wall of the common carotid artery in 801 subjects without cardiovascular disease (428 women aged 46.2±12.9 years; 373 men aged 47.3±13.3 years). After precise evaluation and exclusion of 14 cardiovascular risk factors, 90% limits of IMT were determined by parametric statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reference limits of IMT according to the age classes 18-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years were estimated as 0.47, 0.59, 0.67 and 0.70 mm in women and 0.47, 0.62, 0.72 and 0.80 mm in men.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age and gender-specific normal values for IMT are lower than reported in former studies after additionally accounting for novel cardiovascular risk factors. The still widely regarded upper IMT limit of 1 mm must be strictly regarded as obsolete.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Elko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Randrianarisoa
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Roderich
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rietig
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biometry, University of Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blumenstock
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Haering
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kilian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rittig
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Balletshofer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Intima-media thickness; cardiovascular disease; metabolic syndrome; normal values