Objective: To explore the association of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and its impact on the 10-year prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis.
Methods: Two surveys for CVD risk factors were carried out in a population consisting of 1323 subjects in Beijing in both 1992 and 2002 and a direct measurement of carotid arteries with B-mode ultrasound imaging were performed in 2002. Intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque of carotid arteries were regarded as the indicators of carotid atherosclerosis and main CVD risk factors were treated as the impact factors.
Results: (1) 10-year prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis continually increased with elevated baseline risk factors levels. Age, smoking, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were found to be independently associated with carotid atherosclerosis. (2) 10-year prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis increased with the elevated number of risk factors clustering in individuals. (3) The prevalence of IMT and plaque were 67.1% and 42.6% in subjects with CVD risk factors in both 1992 and 2002 surveys with Odds Ratios being 1.7 and 3.1 times as those without risk factors.
Conclusion: Traditional CVD risk factors exert impact on CVD and carotid atherosclerosis with different degrees and carotid atherosclerosis can be regarded as an early evaluation indicator for risk of atherosclerotic diseases.