Carotid IMT and 'Cardiovascular Events'

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Ever since I first saw the WUSTL study I have tried to find a paper

showing the reliability of the relationship between clogged carotid

and coronary arteries. I was hoping to find evidence that if a

carotid IMT test showed excellent results (as is the case for people

on CRON) we could conclude that that was a reliable indication of the

condition of the coronary artery.

Finally I have found something, and it is better than I hoped. The

following study examined cardiovascular events in 4476 people, aged

over 65 years at the start of the study, by quintile of carotid IMT

score! The subjects were followed for more than six years and 551

cardiovascular events occurred in these 'previously healthy' people.

The results were similar for the measurements of both the common and

internal carotid arteries; they were also similar for incidence of

both stroke and myocardial infarction. The risk rose by quintile from

a reference of 1.00 in the lowest quintile, to 1.54; 1.84; 2.01; to

3.15 in the highest quintile.

The punch line for this post is the following. The carotid IMT

measurement for the lowest (healthiest) quintile was 'less than

0.87mm'. IIRC, that number is *higher* than the average for the

comparison group in the WUSTL study! So the numbers for the CRON

subjects in the WUSTL study were 40% lower (far superior) than those

of the comparison group, which in turn was better than the BEST

quintile in this study! LOLOL. Enjoy!

PMID: 9878640

Rodney.