title: Assessment of the carotid artery intima-media complex through ultrasonography and the relationship with Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the presence of carotid thickening and its relationship with the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth score.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a cross-sectional study involving 512 brazilian adolescents. Variables such as sex, body mass index, concentrations of non-high-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin A1c levels that make up the score, and carotid thickening through the intima-media complex measured by ultrasound were evaluated. We adopted two cut-off points to evaluate carotid thickening, being considered altered for those higher or equal to the z-score 2+ and ⩾75th percentile. The association was assessed using the χ2 test and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High cardiovascular risk was present in 10.2% of the adolescents; carotid thickness was present in 4.3% determined by the z-score 2+ and in 25.0% determined by the 75th percentile. When measured by the z-score, carotid thickening was associated with high systolic blood pressure (p=0.024), high-non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (p=0.039), and high cardiovascular risk assessed by the score and by the 75th percentile, with body mass index >30 (p=0.005). In the multivariate analysis, high cardiovascular risk was found to be independently associated with the presence of carotid thickness evaluated by the z-score, with risk four times greater (p=0.010) of presenting with this condition compared with individuals with low risk, and this fact was not observed when factors were analysed alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of high cardiovascular risk in adolescents assessed by the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth score was associated with marked thickening of the carotid artery in healthy adolescents.
authors.affiliation: State University of Paraiba,Postgraduate Master in Public Health,Campina Grande/PB,Brazil.
authors.forename: Thacira D A
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: State University of Paraiba,Postgraduate Master in Public Health,Campina Grande/PB,Brazil.
authors.forename: Tatianne M E
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.affiliation: State University of Paraiba,Postgraduate Master in Public Health,Campina Grande/PB,Brazil.
authors.forename: Mônica O S
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: State University of Paraiba,Postgraduate Master in Public Health,Campina Grande/PB,Brazil.
authors.forename: Danielle F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: State University of Paraiba,Postgraduate Master in Public Health,Campina Grande/PB,Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla C M
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Medeiros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001938:Brazil; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: Atherosclerosis; adolescence; carotid arteries; intima-media