| Abstrakt: |
Objective: To investigate the association of several obesity anthropometric indices, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip ratio (WHR), with carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in local Chinese population; and to examine the variation of CIMT with age in local Chinese population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional prospective study in 184 Chinese patients in a local Accident and Emergency Department (AED) aged ≥ 18 years without risk factors for atherosclerosis. Subjects’ common carotid artery intima media thickness was measured with a 4.5-15MHz linear ultrasound transducer at a point 10mm proximal to the carotid bulb. All subjects’ age, gender, anthropometric (WC and hip circumference (HC) from which WHR was calculated, weight and height from which BMI was calculated) and CIMT values were recorded on a pro forma. Descriptive and inferential statistic methods such as t test and chi-square were carried out. Correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between age, BMI, WC, WHR, and CIMT. Results: The right, left, and average CIMT of both sides in our study subjects were 0.55+/-0.14mm, 0.58+/- 0.15mm, and 0.56+/-0.14mm respectively, with no significant difference between the right and left sides (p>0.05). The left, right and average CIMT did not differ significantly between men and women (p>0.05). WC (r=0.313, 0.271, 0.309; all p<0.001) and WHR (r=0.359, 0.312, 0.355; all p<0.001) showed moderate positive correlations with right, left, and average CIMT. BMI (r=0.188, 0.160, 0.184; p<0.05) showed weak positive correlations with right, left, and average CIMT. Correlations between BMI with right, left, and average CIMT in male was found to be stronger than in female. There was a linear relationship between age and CIMT (r=0.557, 0.509, 0.564 for right, left and average CIMT respectively; all p<0.001), for which in female was stronger than in male. Conclusions: Ultrasonic CIMT measurement can be useful for refining CVD risk assessment in some symptomatic patients. It detects subclinical vascular disease and identifies patients at increased risk of CVD, and thus aids in risk stratification and patient management especially in the primary care setting and AED. This study provides evidence of a positive association of WC, WHR, BMI and age with CIMT in Hong Kong Chinese population. The association of WC and WHR was found to be stronger than that of BMI with CIMT. WC and WHR may be used as supplemental indices for redefining obesity and an alternative tool for further refining discrimination of early atherosclerotic burden. CIMT increases with age, and this factor should be considered in the sonographic assessment of CIMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
