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Association between arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis: the Rotterdam Study
N M van Popele1, D E Grobbee, M L Bots
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam (Netherlands).
Stroke
|February 7, 2001
Summary
Arterial stiffness in the aorta and carotid artery is strongly linked to atherosclerosis indicators like intima-media thickness and plaque severity. This association holds true across multiple vascular sites in elderly individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Vascular Biology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Conflicting evidence exists regarding the relationship between arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis.
- Previous studies have yielded contradictory findings on this association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis.
- To examine aortic and common carotid artery stiffness in relation to atherosclerosis indicators.
Main Methods:
- Study conducted in >3000 elderly individuals (aged 60-101) within the Rotterdam Study.
- Aortic stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity; common carotid artery stiffness by distensibility.
- Atherosclerosis assessed via carotid intima-media thickness, plaque presence/severity, and peripheral arterial disease.
Main Results:
- Strong positive associations found between arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness, carotid plaque severity, and aortic plaque severity (P<0.01).
- Individuals with peripheral arterial disease exhibited significantly increased aortic stiffness (P=0.001) and borderline increased common carotid artery stiffness (P=0.08).
- Findings remained consistent after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and excluding prevalent cardiovascular disease.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness is significantly associated with atherosclerosis across multiple locations in the vascular tree.
- This population-based study confirms a robust link between arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis.