OBJECTIVETo describe the distribution characteristics of carotid atherosclerosis and to analyze its association with cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged and elderly Chinese.

METHODSIn 2007, the second cross-sectional examination for cardiovascular risk factors and B-mode ultrasound imaging on carotid arteries were performed in a Chinese population consisting of 2681 subjects aged 43-81 years old from two cohorts participants of the People's Republic of China/United States of America collaborative study (USA-PRC study) and the Chinese multi-provincial cohort study (CMCS). The association of cardiovascular risk factors with intima-media thickening (ITM) and plaque of carotid arteries was analyzed.

RESULTS(1) The mean intima-media thickening (Mean-IMT) of carotid artery was 0.68 mm, the maximal intima-media thickening (Max-IMT) was 1.07 mm. (2) The prevalence rate of carotid plaque was 60.3% in all subjects. As for the different sites of carotid arteries, the plaque prevalence rate at carotid bulb was 61.2% for male and 51.6% for female (chi2 = 23.44, P < 0.01), and at the internal carotid artery was 24.7% for male and 12.2% for female (chi2 = 69.57, P < 0.01), at the common carotid artery was 20.9% for male and 13.8% for female (chi2 = 23.18, P < 0.01). (3) After adjusting for age and other cardiovascular risk factors, the Mean-IMT and Max-IMT increased with elevated levels of systolic blood pressure, plasma glucose and low density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C) (all P < 0.05). Hypertension, diabetes, smoking and high LDL-C (P < 0.05) were independent predict factors for the risk of carotid plaque.

CONCLUSIONThe carotid atherosclerosis was common in middle and older age Chinese and was positively associated with classical cardiovascular disease risk factors.