Objective To describe the characteristics of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in urban or suburban populations to provide support for cardiovascular risk factors monitoring and health management.Methods A population-based cardiovascular epidemiology survey was conducted among 899 urban and 1202 suburban residents in Beijing from October 2002 to September 2007.Carotid plaque.intimamedia thickness(IMT),and lumen diameter were measured in the proximal,distal,and sinus segment of the carotid artery using duplex ultrasound.Arterial tension and the number of plaques were calculated and compared between the two groups.Results Mean common carotid IMT increased with age in both groups (P<0.05,respectively),and among all age groups IMT Was obviously thicker in suburban population than that in urban population (respectively,P<0.05).Independence of gender,the prevalence of plaques increased with age (P<0.05),and the number of plaques was higher in the suburban population than those in urban population in all age groups (P<0.05).However,aaerial tension decreased with age in both groups,especially in the suburban populations (P<0.05).Conclusion With the acceleration of urbanization and aging in China,cardiovascular risk factor monitoring and health management should focus on suburban and elderly populations.