ARTERIAL-WALL THICKNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH PREVALENT CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS - THE ATHEROSCLEROSIS RISK IN COMMUNITIES(ARIC) STUDY

Background and Purpose This study was done to assess the relationship between prevalent cardiovascular disease and arterial wall thickness i n middle-aged US adults. Methods The association of preexisting corona ry heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral vascular dis ease with carotid and popliteal intimal-medial thickness (IMT) (measur ed by B-mode ultrasound) was assessed in 13 870 black and white men an d women, aged 45 to 64, during the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study baseline examination (1987 through 1989). Prevalent dise ase was determined according to both participant self-report and measu rements at the baseline examination (including electrocardiogram, fast ing blood glucose, and medication use). Results Across four race and g ender strata, mean carotid far wall IMT was consistently greater in pa rticipants with prevalent clinical cardiovascular disease than in dise ase-free subjects. Similarly, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease was consistently greater in participants with progressively thicker I MT. The greatest differences in carotid IMT associated with prevalent disease were observed for reported symptomatic peripheral vascular dis ease (0.09 to 0.22 mm greater IMT in the four race-gender groups). Con clusions These data document the substantially greater arterial wall t hickness observed in middle-aged adults with prevalent cardiovascular disease. Both carotid and popliteal arterial IMT were related to clini cally manifest cardiovascular disease affecting distant vascular beds, such as the cerebral, peripheral, and coronary artery vascular beds.