Variation Of Carotid Intima Media Thickness With Anthropometric Measures In Healthy Adults Of Hong Kong Chinese Population

Abstract

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.