Association Between Kidney Dysfunction and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Community-Based Older Adults in China

We investigated the association between kidney dysfunction and carotid atherosclerosis in community-based older adults. This study consisted of 1257 participants, aged 55 years and older and free of cardiovascular disease. Kidney dysfunction was classified as mild, moderate, and severe (estimated glomerular filtration rate, 45-59, 30-44, and <30 mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively). We found that the mean common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) progressively increased with decrement in kidney function (P < .001). Even mild kidney dysfunction was significantly associated with CCA-IMT thickening (CCA-IMT ≥1.0 mm; odds ratio [OR] 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-1.99) compared to normal kidney function. A significantly increased presence of heterogeneous plaque was observed in relation to decreased kidney function (P for trend = .011), that is, even a mild kidney dysfunction was a potential independent risk factor for heterogeneous plaque (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.04-1.98). Mild kidney dysfunction may be a predictor of early or accelerated carotid atherosclerosis in older adults.