Tracking of Noninvasive Ultrasound Measurements of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood: Findings from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Raiko, Juho R.H.; Magnussen, Costan G.; Kähönen, Mika; Laitinen, Tomi; Taittonen, Leena; Viikari, Jorma S.A.; Raitakari, Olli T.; Juonala, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2010.05.003

« Previous Next »Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 36, Issue 8 , Pages 1237-1244, August 2010

Tracking of Noninvasive Ultrasound Measurements of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Adulthood: Findings from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

Juho R.H. Raiko
- Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Address correspondence to: Juho R.H. Raiko, Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, P.O. Box 52, 20521 Turku, Finland.
Costan G. Magnussen
- Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
Tomi Laitinen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
Leena Taittonen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Vaasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland
Jorma S.A. Viikari
- Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
Olli T. Raitakari
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Center of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
Markus Juonala
- Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland

Received 5 January 2010; received in revised form 1 April 2010; accepted 3 May 2010. published online 05 July 2010.

Abstract

We examined tracking of ultrasound measurements of vascular structure and function in adulthood using data collected in the 2001 and 2007 follow-ups of Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. B-mode ultrasound measures of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid artery distensibility (CDist) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was obtained on 1809 apparently healthy Finnish adults aged 24 to 39 years in 2001 (1014 females; 795 males). Significant 6-year tracking was observed for IMT (males, r = 0.56; females, r = 0.46), CDist (males, r = 0.35; females, r = 0.36) and FMD (males, r = 0.23; females, r = 0.20). Subjects with 10-year risk of CVD (according to the SCORE risk score) above sex-specific median had improved IMT (r = 0.44; r = 0.57, p = 0.0001) and CDist (r = 0.31; r = 0.40, p = 0.03) tracking compared with those below median. Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m² decreased tracking of CDist (r = 0.36; r = 0.19, p = 0.01). In conclusion, ultrasound measurements tracked low to moderate over 6-years and was influenced by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor status. (E-mail: juho.raiko@utu.fi)

Key Words: Cardiovascular, Atherosclerosis, Ultrasound, Intima-media thickness, Carotid artery distensibility, Flow-mediated dilatation, Tracking