Carotid intimal-medial thickness is related to cardiovascular risk factorsmeasured from childhood through middle age - The muscatine study

Background-Higher carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT) is associated with cardiovascular risk factors and is predictive of coronary artery disease a nd stroke in older adults. Carotid IMT was measured in young and middle-age d adults to determine its relationship with risk factors measured (1) in ch ildhood, (2) currently, and (3) as a "load" from childhood to adulthood. Methods and Results-Carotid ultrasound studies were performed in 346 men an d 379 women aged 33 to 42 years who were representative of a cohort followe d since childhood and who live in Muscatine, Iowa. The mean of the measurem ents of maximal carotid IMT at 12 locations was determined for each subject . A medical questionnaire was completed, and measurements of anthropometric characteristics and risk factors were obtained. The mean maximum carotid I MT was 0.79 +/-0.12 min for men and 0.72 +/-0.10 mm for women. On the basis of multivariable analysis, the significant current predictors of IMT were age and LDL cholesterol in both sexes and diastolic blood pressure in women . Total cholesterol was a significant childhood predictor in both sexes, wh ile childhood body mass index was significant only in women. For men, LDL c holesterol, HDL cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure were predictive o f carotid IMT in a risk factor load model, whereas in women, LDL cholestero l, body mass index, and triglycerides were predictive. Conclusions-Higher carotid IMT in young and middle-aged adults is associate d with childhood and current cardiovascular risk factors, as well as risk f actor load.