The San Daniele 2 Project: protocol description and population characteristics

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Epidemiology
• Vascular Biology
• Preventive Cardiology

Background:

• The San Daniele Project initially assessed carotid atherosclerosis prevalence and risk factors in an Italian population in 1990.
• Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis was prevalent (25.4% men, 26.4% women) and associated with age, systolic blood pressure, smoking, and HDL cholesterol.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively evaluate changes in carotid atherosclerosis findings over time.
• To investigate the relationship between carotid findings, cardiovascular risk factors, and incident cardiovascular events.
• To explore genetic polymorphisms, and atrial fibrillation incidence and determinants in the cohort.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 1990 data using intima-media thickness and plaque presence/stenosis.
• Longitudinal re-examination of the cohort in 2002 to track atherosclerosis progression.
• Comparison of cohort characteristics with the general regional population to enhance generalizability.

Main Results:

• In 1990, age, systolic blood pressure, and smoking were significant risk factors for carotid plaques/stenosis.
• High-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a protective effect.
• Prevalence rates were similar between men and women in the initial study.

Conclusions:

• Carotid atherosclerosis is common in the general population and linked to modifiable risk factors.
• The San Daniele Project provides a valuable longitudinal dataset for studying cardiovascular disease progression and prediction.
• Future research will leverage genetic data and atrial fibrillation incidence to further understand atherosclerosis determinants.