• Blai Coll, Angels Betriu, Steve B Feinstein, Jose M Valdivielso, Jose L Zamorano, and Elvira Fernández.
• UDETMA, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, IRBLleida, Lleida, Spain.
• Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed). 2013 Dec 1; 66 (12): 929-34.

Introduction And ObjectivesDetection of carotid atherosclerosis might help to better identify individuals susceptible to cardiovascular events. We aimed to quantify the number of participants with carotid atherosclerosis and low-to-intermediate cardiovascular risk according to the traditional risk factor scoring, and therefore with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events.MethodsCross-sectional, observational study performed during a cardiovascular screening program. From a total of 3778 volunteers, low-to-intermediate cardiovascular risk individuals (N=2354) were identified and studied. Physical examination, blood test, and carotid ultrasound followed standard procedures. Common, bulb, and internal carotid arteries were examined and common carotid intima-media thickness was measured. SCORE risk value was calculated for all participants. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis was performed.ResultsMean age of participants was 58.9 (15) years, 43.8% were men, 23.7% had hypertension, and 20.5% had hypercholesterolemia. The mean SCORE value was 1.47 (1.4). Both carotid intima-media thickness and the prevalence of carotid plaques increased steadily and significantly (P<.005) as advanced decades of life were analyzed. Variables significantly related with the presence of carotid atherosclerosis were age, male sex, and systolic blood pressure. Interestingly, 592 (25.1%) individuals were reclassified to a higher risk due to the presence of carotid atherosclerosis.ConclusionsThere was a clear dissociation between cardiovascular risk scoring and the presence of atherosclerosis, because 1 of 4 study participants at low-to-intermediate cardiovascular risk had carotid atherosclerosis.Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

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