title: Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients with Prior Pulmonary Thromboembolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have indicated that endothelial dysfunction is common in patients with a prior history of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Based on the established relationship between endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis, we aimed to investigate carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients who have a prior history of PTE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records belonging to patients with a history of PTE and age- and gender-matched control subjects among those who underwent transthoracic echocardiography in Konya Training and Research Hospital were reviewed. Echocardiographic findings and cIMT measurements were recorded. cIMT measurements were compared between patient and control groups, and then independent correlates of cIMT were investigated using appropriate statistical methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 110 patients (64.02 ± 12.67 years, males: n = 79 [71.81%]; females: n = 31 [28.19%]) were found to be eligible for assessment. Of these patients, 55 (50.00%) had a history of PTE. Patients with a history of PTE had significantly greater cIMT (p = 0.040). In this group of patients, cIMT positively and significantly correlated with basal right ventricular (RV) diameter (r = 0.271, p = 0.022), RV diastolic area (r = 0.376, p = 0.002), and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.248, p = 0.037). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, only RV diastolic area was independently associated with cIMT in patients with PTE (p = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with a history of PTE have increased cIMT when compared to healthy subjects, and cIMT, which is a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, is independently associated with RV diameter in these patients.
authors.forename: Zafer
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Buyukterzi
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buyukterzi
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kurtipek
authors.forename: Mehmet Sertac
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Alpaydin
authors.forename: Sukru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karaarslan
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Carotid intima-media thickness; Pulmonary thromboembolism; Subclinical atherosclerosis