Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
Author Spotlight: Assessing the Cardiovascular Profile of Patients with Metabolic Syndrome
Published on: September 27, 2024
Has carotid intima-media thickness prognostic impact in patients with high cardiovascular risk? A long-term cohort
Ana Teresa Timóteo1,2, Miguel Mota Carmo1,2, Cristina Soares1
1Cardiology Department, Santa Marta Hospital, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal.
Insights
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) indicates worse outcomes in high-risk patients, but age and gender are key drivers. CIMT is a valuable prognostic marker for specific patient groups.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a recognized surrogate marker for cardiovascular events in intermediate-risk patients.
- Its role in risk stratification for future events in high-risk individuals or those with established cardiovascular disease is less clear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of CIMT on cardiovascular event occurrence in a long-term follow-up cohort of high-risk individuals.
- To determine if CIMT provides additional prognostic value beyond established risk factors in this population.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 296 individuals with a mean follow-up of 6.9 years.
- Division of individuals into tertiles based on CIMT measurements.
- Comparison of baseline characteristics and outcomes (all-cause mortality, composite cardiovascular events) across CIMT tertiles.
Main Results:
- Higher CIMT showed a trend towards increased cardiovascular mortality and a significant association with a composite outcome.
- A CIMT of ≥0.85 mm correlated with a higher event rate.
- CIMT was not an independent predictor after adjusting for age and gender, but proved useful in specific subgroups (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, metabolic syndrome, non-diabetics, females, smokers, patients without CAD).
Conclusions:
- While higher CIMT is associated with worse outcomes, this association is largely influenced by age and gender.
- CIMT serves as a useful prognostic marker in specific patient subsets, aiding in risk stratification beyond traditional factors.
Background:
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is an established surrogate marker for cardiovascular events in patients with intermediate risk. In patients with high cardiovascular risk or established cardiovascular disease, the impact of CMIT measurement on risk stratification for future events is less clear. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of CIMT on the occurrence of cardiovascular events in a cohort of individuals with high cardiovascular risk, in long-term follow-up.
Methods:
We analyzed 296 individuals, mean follow-up of 6.9 ± 2.2 years. Individuals were divided into tertiles according to CIMT. Tertiles were compared in terms of baseline characteristics and outcomes during follow-up-all-cause mortality and composite outcome (mortality, acute coronary syndromes, coronary revascularization, stroke/transient ischemic attack, heart failure, or cardiovascular admission).
Results:
Our population had a mean age of 65 ± 9 years at the beginning of the study, 55% males. Patients with higher CIMT showed a trend for higher cardiovascular mortality (P = 0.084) and for the composite outcome (P = 0.049). A CIMT ≥ 0.85 mm was also associated with higher rate of events; however, CIMT was not an independent predictor of outcome after adjustment for age and gender. CIMT assessment was useful in patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome and in nondiabetic patients. For the composite outcome, it was also useful in females, smokers, and in patients without coronary artery disease.
Conclusions:
Patients with higher CIMT have worst outcome, but this was mainly driven by age and gender. CIMT is useful as a prognostic marker in specific subsets of patients.
More Related Videos
10:11Fundus Photography as a Convenient Tool to Study Microvascular Responses to Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Epidemiological Studies
Published on: October 22, 2014
07:51Hydra, a Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Cardiovascular Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: September 26, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:17Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion,...
01:28Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System V: CT
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for...
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System III: X-Ray
Definition and Purpose
An X-ray, or radiograph, is a non-invasive method that uses ionizing radiation to take images of internal structures. It is mainly used in cardiac imaging to examine the heart, lungs, and major blood vessels, aiming to identify abnormalities in the heart's size, shape, and position, such as heart failure, congenital defects, and vascular...
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI