The Carotid Artery Plaque Size and Echogenicity are Related to Different Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Elderly
Journal article, 2009

Carotid plaques can be characterised by ultrasound by size and echogenicity. Both size and echogenicity are predictors of cardiovascular events. The aim of this study was to examine whether traditional risk factors and markers of inflammation and oxidation were associated with plaque size and echogenicity. Computerised analysis of carotid plaque size and echogenicity (grey scale median, GSM) were performed by ultrasound in a population-based health survey in 1,016 subjects aged 70 years (PIVUS study). Information on cardiovascular risk factors was collected, together with markers of inflammation and oxidation. Increased Framingham risk score, systolic blood pressure, higher BMI and decreased HDL, lower glutathione levels were related to echolucent plaques. Previous or present smoking was common with significantly more pack-years related to the echorich plaques. Plaque size was associated with increased Framingham risk score, systolic blood pressure, blood glucose levels, smoking, ApoB/A1 ratio, OxLDL, TNF alpha, HOMA insulin resistance, leucocyte count, decreased BCD-LDL and low levels of l-selectin. Low HDL, increased BMI and decreased glutathione levels were associated with the echolucency of carotid plaques, implying metabolic factors to play a role for plaque composition. Markers of inflammation were related to plaque size alone, implying inflammation to be predominantly associated with the amount of atherosclerosis. These results suggest that plaque size and echogenicity are influenced by different risk factors.

Carotid artery

Atherosclerosis

men

coronary-heart-disease

density-lipoprotein cholesterol

atherosclerosis

independent predictor

prevalence

tromso

seniors pivus

Oxidation

Plaque

general-population

Ultrasound

Risk factor

count

leukocyte

uppsala

Lipids

Author

J. Andersson

Akademiska Sjukhuset

J. Sundstrom

Akademiska Sjukhuset

L. Kurland

Akademiska Sjukhuset

Tomas Gustavsson

Chalmers, Signals and Systems, Signal Processing and Biomedical Engineering

Johannes Hulthe

Wallenberg Lab.

AstraZeneca AB

A. Elmgren

AstraZeneca AB

K. Zilmer

University of Tartu

M. Zilmer

University of Tartu

L. Lind

Akademiska Sjukhuset

Lipids

0024-4201 (ISSN)

Vol. 44 5 397-403

Subject Categories

Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

DOI

10.1007/s11745-009-3281-y

More information

Latest update

5/17/2018