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Common carotid artery intima-media thickness: the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Multiple Evaluation in Latin America

Pierre-Jean Touboul1, Eric Vicaut, Julien Labreuche

  • 1INSERM U-698, Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, Bichat Claude Bernard University, 46 rue Henri Huchard, Paris, France.

Cerebrovascular Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|October 29, 2010
PubMed

Insights

The CARMELA study found that common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCAIMT) increases with age and cardiovascular risk factors in Latin American populations. Higher CCAIMT is linked to metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular epidemiology
  • Vascular biology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCAIMT) is a predictor of cardiovascular events.
  • The CARMELA study assessed CCAIMT and cardiovascular risk factors in 7 Latin American cities.
  • This research explored the relationship between CCAIMT and cardiovascular risk markers in urban Latin American populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCAIMT) in urban Latin American populations.
  • To determine the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in these populations.
  • To evaluate the association between CCAIMT and cardiovascular risk factors, including metabolic syndrome.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional, population-based, observational study design.
  • Stratified, multistage sampling across 7 Latin American cities.
  • Carotid ultrasonography following Mannheim intima-media thickness consensus guidelines.

Main Results:

  • CCAIMT increased with age and was higher in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors.
  • A significant linear trend was observed between increasing CCAIMT and a greater number of cardiovascular risk factors (p < 0.001).
  • Metabolic syndrome, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension were all associated with increased CCAIMT.

Conclusions:

  • CARMELA provided normative CCAIMT values by age and sex for urban Latin Americans.
  • The study demonstrated that CCAIMT increases with cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome.
  • This highlights CCAIMT as a valuable marker for cardiovascular risk in this population.
Abstract

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