Key result
Rising SBP is linked to increased carotid IMT over 6 years, while LDL changes are not.
Why the study?
Do baseline and changes in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol affect carotid intima media thickness in adults?
Cohort (n=2,244)
No
Do baseline and changes in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol affect carotid intima media thickness in adults?
Mean Difference: 0.047 (95% CI 0.015–0.079)
p-value: p=0.004
Changes in blood pressure, but not LDL cholesterol, over a 6-year period are significantly associated with progression of carotid intima media thickness.
BP changes linked to CIMT progression unlike LDL; extends observational data but leaves causal and clinical impact open.
BACKGROUND: The effects of baseline and changes in blood pressure and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol on the carotid intima media thickness (IMT) have not been well documented. METHODS: A total of 2572 adults (mean age 53.8 years, 54.6% women) in a Taiwanese community undertook three blood pressure and LDL cholesterol examinations over 6 years. Latent growth curve modeling was used to investigate the effects of baseline and change in blood pressure and LDL cholesterol on IMT. RESULTS: Greater baseline LDL and blood pressure were associated with an increase in IMT (0.005 ± 0.002 mm per 1 mg/dL [p = 0.006] and 0.041 ± 0.004 mm mm Hg [p <0.0001], respectively. Change in blood pressure was associated with a significant increase in IMT (0.047 ± 0.016, P = 0.004), whilst the association between change in LDL and change in IMT was not statistically significant (0.008 ± 0.006, P = 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: Carotid IMT was associated with baseline blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, yet only changes of blood pressure, not LDL cholesterol, were related to carotid IMT during the 6-year observation.
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Chien et al. (2012) conducted a cohort in Carotid artery atherosclerosis (n=2,244). Changes in systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterol vs. Baseline levels was evaluated on Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) (0.047 mm per 1 mmHg increase, 95% CI 0.015 to 0.079, p=0.004). Over a 6-year period, an increase in systolic blood pressure was significantly associated with an increase in carotid intima media thickness (0.047 mm per 1 mmHg), whereas changes in LDL cholesterol were not.
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