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F J Nieto

Publications and source records attributed to F J Nieto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The association between serum uric acid level and long-term incidence of hypertension: Population-based cohort study.

Increasing experimental evidence, including recently developed animal models support a causal role for uric acid in the development of hypertension. However, it is not clear whether serum uric acid levels are independently associated with the long-term incidence of hypertension. We examined the association between serum uric acid levels and 10-year incidence of hypertension in a population-based cohort study based in Beaver Dam city and township, Wisconsin, US. We studied 2520 hypertension-free individuals (56.3% women, age: 43-84 years, 98% Caucasian) at the baseline examination (1988-1990). The main outcome of interest was hypertension (systolic blood pressure (BP) of 140 mm Hg or higher, diastolic BP 90 mm Hg or higher, or combination of self-reported high BP diagnosis and use of antihypertensive medications) incidence over 10 years among baseline normotensive individuals. Nine hundred and fifty-six individuals developed hypertension over a 10-year follow-up period. The relative risk (RR) (95% confidence intervals (CI)) of incident hypertension increased in a dose-dependent manner (P-trend < 0.05 in all models) with increasing uric acid quartiles. Multivariable RR (95% CI) comparing the highest quartile of serum uric acid (> or =390 micromol/l) to the lowest quartile (< or =260 micromol/l) was 1.65 (1.41-1.93). This association persisted in subgroup analyses by categories of smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, baseline blood pressure and estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). In conclusion, increasing quartiles of serum uric acid was associated with 10-year incidence of hypertension independent of smoking, alcohol intake and baseline kidney function suggesting an independent positive association between serum uric acid levels and hypertension development among community-dwelling older adults.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Associations of weight loss and changes in fat distribution with the remission of hypertension in a bi-ethnic cohort: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

BACKGROUND: To examine associations of weight loss and changes in fat distribution with changes in blood pressure and the remission of hypertension in a community-based sample. METHODS: Participants were 3245 white and African-American men and women, 45-64 years of age, who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study over an average of 9 years. Mixed models analyses were used to examine the associations of weight loss and changes in fat distribution with changes in blood pressure. Proportional hazard models with time-dependent covariates were used to examine the associations of weight loss and changes in fat distribution with the remission of hypertension. RESULTS: Weight loss was associated with a decrease in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure and with an increased rate of remission of hypertension. Hazard ratios of the remission of hypertension associated with 1-kg increment in annual weight loss were 2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62-2.59), 1.38 (95% CI: 1.14-1.67), 1.84 (95% CI: 1.47-2.29), and 1.53 (95% CI: 1.14-2.05) for white women, African-American women, white men, and African-American men, respectively. Changes in fat distribution were associated with the remission of hypertension in younger (45-54 years) participants. CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss was associated with a decrease in blood pressure and with remission of hypertension in white and African-American men and women.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2002

Associations between weight gain and incident hypertension in a bi-ethnic cohort: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine associations between weight gain and changes in blood pressure and the incidence of hypertension in four ethnicity-gender groups. DESIGN: Longitudinal closed cohort studied over an average of 6 y. SUBJECTS: Total of 9309 white and African-American men and women 45-64 y of age who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. METHODS: Weight and blood pressure were measured at baseline and after an average of 3 and 6 y of follow-up. Proportional hazard models with weight gain as a time-dependent variable were used to examine the association between weight gain and changes in blood pressure and hypertension. Multivariate models were used with baseline SBP, DBP, age, BMI, height, WHR, smoking, physical activity, education, caloric intake, fat intake and study center as covariates. RESULTS: Weight gain was associated with increases in SBP and DBP in all groups. Hazard ratios for hypertension associated with 1 kg annual weight gain were 1.36 (95% CI, 1.29, 1.45) in white women, 1.12 (95% CI, 1.03, 1.21) in African-American women, 1.35 (95% CI, 1.27, 1.43) in white men and 1.43 (95% CI, 1.27,1.61) in African-American men. CONCLUSION: Weight gain was associated with increased blood pressure and increased incidence of hypertension. The association was weaker among African-American women compared to other ethnicity-gender groups.

Black People↗
PubMed2001

White blood cell count and incidence of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease in African-American and White men and women: atherosclerosis risk in communities study.

The authors examined the association between white blood cell (WBC) count and incidence of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease in 13,555 African-American and White men and women from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Blood was drawn at the ARIC baseline examination, beginning in 1987-1989. During an average of 8 years of follow-up (through December 1996), there were 488 incident coronary heart disease events, 220 incident strokes, and 258 deaths from cardiovascular disease. After adjustment for age, sex, ARIC field center, and multiple risk factors, there was a direct association between WBC count and incidence of coronary heart disease (p < 0.001 for trend) and stroke (p for trend < 0.001) and mortality from cardiovascular disease (p for trend < 0.001) in African Americans. The African Americans in the highest quartile of WBC count (> or =7,000 cells/mm(3)) had 1.9 times the risk of incident coronary heart disease (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19, 3.09), 1.9 times the risk of incident ischemic stroke (95% CI: 1.03, 3.34), and 2.3 times the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality (95% CI: 1.38, 3.72) as their counterparts in the lowest quartile of WBC count (<4,800 cells/mm(3)). These associations were similar in Whites and in never smokers. An elevated WBC count is directly associated with increased incidence of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke and mortality from cardiovascular disease in African-American and White men and women.

Black People↗
PubMed2001

Relative androgen excess and increased cardiovascular risk after menopause: a hypothesized relation.

Many studies have investigated the role of estrogen during menopause; however, less attention has been paid to the role of androgen. Given the possible opposite effects of estrogen and androgen on cardiovascular disease risk, it is suggested that relative androgen excess may better predict the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in women over the age of 50 years than estrogen levels alone. Three phases of hormonal milieu changes are hypothesized as a better way to identify the hormone-cardiovascular disease risk association. A first phase, prepause, occurs before estrogen levels decline (approximately 2 years before menopause). A second phase, interpause, occurs from the end of prepause until approximately age 55. A third phase, postpause, occurs after interpause. The duration of the interpause phase, characterized by relative androgen excess, may be an independent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. This hypothesis could provide a basis for further clinical and epidemiologic research, and it could have important implications for establishing the initiation and duration of estrogen replacement therapy use as a means to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Effects of an angry temperament on coronary heart disease risk : The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

The objective of the study was to determine which component of an anger-prone personality more strongly predicts coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. Proneness to anger, as assessed by the Spielberger Trait Anger Scale, is composed of two distinct subcomponents-anger-temperament and anger-reaction. Participants were 12,990 middle-aged Black men and women and White men and women from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who were followed for the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (MI)/fatal CHD, silent MI, or cardiac revascularization procedures (average = 53 months; maximum = 72 months) through December 31, 1995. Among normotensive persons, a strong, angry temperament (tendency toward quick, minimally provoked, or unprovoked anger) was associated with combined CHD (acute MI/fatal CHD, silent MI, or cardiac revascularization procedures) (multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio = 2.10, 95% confidence interval: 1.34, 3.29) and with 'hard" events (acute MI/fatal CHD) (multivariate adjusted hazard ratio = 2.28, 95% confidence interval: 1.29, 4.02). CHD event-free survival among normotensives who had a strong, angry temperament was not significantly different from that of hypertensives at either level of anger. These data suggest that a strong, angry temperament rather than anger in reaction to criticism, frustration, or unfair treatment places normotensive, middle-aged persons at increased risk for cardiac events and may confer a CHD risk similar to that of hypertension.

Anger↗
PubMed2001

Neighborhood of residence and incidence of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Where a person lives is not usually thought of as an independent predictor of his or her health, although physical and social features of places of residence may affect health and health-related behavior. METHODS: Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, we examined the relation between characteristics of neighborhoods and the incidence of coronary heart disease. Participants were 45 to 64 years of age at base line and were sampled from four study sites in the United States: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis; and Washington County, Maryland. As proxies for neighborhoods, we used block groups containing an average of 1000 people, as defined by the U.S. Census. We constructed a summary score for the socioeconomic environment of each neighborhood that included information about wealth and income, education, and occupation. RESULTS: During a median of 9.1 years of follow-up, 615 coronary events occurred in 13,009 participants. Residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods (those with lower summary scores) had a higher risk of disease than residents of advantaged neighborhoods, even after we controlled for personal income, education, and occupation. Hazard ratios for coronary events in the most disadvantaged group of neighborhoods as compared with the most advantaged group--adjusted for age, study site, and personal socioeconomic indicators--were 1.7 among whites (95 percent confidence interval, 1.3 to 2.3) and 1.4 among blacks (95 percent confidence interval, 0.9 to 2.0). Neighborhood and personal socioeconomic indicators contributed independently to the risk of disease. Hazard ratios for coronary heart disease among low-income persons living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, as compared with high-income persons in the most advantaged neighborhoods were 3.1 among whites (95 percent confidence interval, 2.1 to 4.8) and 2.5 among blacks (95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 4.5). These associations remained unchanged after adjustment for established risk factors for coronary heart disease. CONCLUSIONS: Even after controlling for personal income, education, and occupation, we found that living in a disadvantaged neighborhood is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed2001

Relation of sleep-disordered breathing to cardiovascular disease risk factors: the Sleep Heart Health Study.

Associations between sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease (CVD) may be mediated by higher cardiovascular risk factor levels in those with sleep-disordered breathing. The authors examined these relations in the Sleep Heart Health Study, a multiethnic cohort of 6,440 men and women over age 40 years conducted from October 1995 to February 1998 and characterized by home polysomnography. In 4,991 participants who were free of self-reported CVD at the time of the sleep study, moderate levels of sleep-disordered breathing were common, with a median Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI) of 4.0 (interquartile range, 1.25-10.7). The level of RDI was associated cross-sectionally with age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, hypertension, diabetes, and lipid levels. These relations were more pronounced in those under age 65 years than in those over age 65. Women under age 65 years with RDI in the higher quartiles were more obese than men with similar RDI. Although the pattern of associations was consistent with greater obesity in those with higher RDI, higher body mass index did not explain all of these associations. If sleep-disordered breathing is shown in future follow-up to increase the risk for incident CVD events, part of the risk is likely to be due to the higher cardiovascular risk factors in those with higher RDI.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The association of sleep-disordered breathing and sleep symptoms with quality of life in the Sleep Heart Health Study.

This study assessed the extent to which sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep (DIMS), and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) were associated with impairment of quality of life (QoL) using the SF-36. Participants (n=5,816; mean age=63 years; 52.5% women) were enrolled in the nation-wide population-based Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) implemented to investigate sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. Each transformed SF-36 scale was analyzed independently using multiple logistic regression analysis with sleep and other potential confounding variables (e.g., age, ethnicity) included as independent variables. Men (11.6%) were significantly more likely to have SDB compared to women (5.6%), while women (42.4%) were significantly more likely to report DIMS than men (32.5%). Vitality was the sole SF-36 scale to have a linear association with the clinical categories of SDB (mild, moderate, severe SDB). However, individuals with severe SDB indicated significantly poorer QoL on several SF-36 scales. Both DIMS and EDS were strongly associated with reduced QoL even after adjusting for confounding variables for both sexes. Findings suggest 1) mild to moderate SDB is associated with reduced vitality, while severe SDB is more broadly associated with poorer QoL, 2) subjective sleep symptoms are comprehensively associated with poorer QoL, and 3) SF-36 mean score profiles for SDB and sleep symptoms are equivalent to other chronic diseases in the U.S. general population.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Prospective study of pathogen burden and risk of myocardial infarction or death.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) increased in relation to the number of pathogens (the "pathogen burden") in a cross-sectional study. In the present prospective study with a different patient cohort, we evaluated the effect of pathogen burden on the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) or death among CAD patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: IgG antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), HSV type 2 (HSV2), Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were tested in baseline blood samples from 890 patients who had significant CAD on angiography. The mean follow-up period was 3 years. The baseline prevalence of antibodies directed against CMV, HAV, HSV1, or HSV2, but not C pneumoniae and H pylori, was significantly higher among patients who subsequently developed MI or death than among control subjects. After adjustment for traditional risk factors, number of diseased vessels, and clinical presentation, relative hazards (95% confidence limits) for MI or death were 2.0 (1. 4 to 3.2) for CMV, 1.6 (1.1 to 2.3) for HAV, and 1.5 (1.0 to 2.2) for HSV2. Increasing pathogen burden was significantly associated with increasing risk of MI or death in a dose-response fashion. Adjusted relative hazards of MI or death associated with pathogen burden were significant among individuals with low or high CRP levels. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that infection plays an important role in incident MI or death and that the risk posed by infection is independently related to the pathogen burden.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Area characteristics and individual-level socioeconomic position indicators in three population-based epidemiologic studies.

PURPOSE: There is growing interest in incorporating area indicators into epidemiologic analyses. Using data from the 1990 U.S. Census linked to individual-level data from three epidemiologic studies, we investigated how different area indicators are interrelated, how measures for different sized areas compare, and the relation between area and individual-level social position indicators. METHODS: The interrelations between 13 area indicators of wealth/income, education, occupation, and other socioenvironmental characteristics were investigated using correlation coefficients and factor analyses. The extent to which block-group measures provide information distinct from census tract measures was investigated using intraclass correlation coefficients. Loglinear models were used to investigate associations between area and individual-level indicators. RESULTS: Correlations between area measures were generally in the 0.5--0.8 range. In factor analyses, six indicators of income/wealth, education, and occupation loaded on one factor in most geographic sites. Correlations between block-group and census tract measures were high (correlation coefficients 0.85--0.96). Most of the variability in block-group indicators was between census tracts (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.72--0.92). Although individual-level and area indicators were associated, there was evidence of important heterogeneity in area of residence within individual-level income or education categories. The strength of the association between individual and area measures was similar in the three studies and in whites and blacks, but blacks were much more likely to live in more disadvantaged areas than whites. CONCLUSIONS: Area measures of wealth/income, education, and occupation are moderately to highly correlated. Differences between using census tract or block-group measures in contextual investigations are likely to be relatively small. Area and individual-level indicators are far from perfectly correlated and provide complementary information on living circumstances. Differences in the residential environments of blacks and whites may need to be taken into account in interpreting race differences in epidemiologic studies.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sensitivity and specificity of anthropometrics for the prediction of diabetes in a biracial cohort.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and combinations of these variables to discriminate individuals who will develop diabetes in adulthood. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Data were from 45- to 64-year-old men and women who were members of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. The analysis sample consisted of 12,814 African American and white participants who were free of diabetes at baseline. Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and diabetes incidence (defined as one glucose measure > or =126 mg/dL after fasting for at least 8 hours, one nonfasting glucose measure > or =200 mg/dL, and self-report of diabetes or report of taking medication for diabetes). RESULTS: 1515 new cases of diabetes were identified over the 9-year follow-up. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curves ranged from 0.66 to 0.73 for single measures. The curves were smooth, with no indication of a threshold. Waist tended to have the highest receiver operating characteristic statistic in all groups, but differences were small. DISCUSSION: The three anthropometric indices tested were approximately equivalent in their ability to predict diabetes. Sensitivity and specificities differed among ethnic and gender groups.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed2001

Familial clustering and myopia progression in Singapore school children.

BACKGROUND: Familial factors may be related to the progression of myopia in children. A cohort study was conducted to determine the relationship between familial factors and myopia progression in children. METHODS: From a larger clinical trial (n = 311), 153 Singapore children aged 6--12 years were recruited to participate in a cohort study of the risk factors for myopia progression. An in-person interview was conducted whereby information on the history of myopia in first-degree relatives was obtained. Other information collected included housing type, parental education and income. Cycloplegic refractive error as measured by subjective refraction and autorefraction were ascertained every six months. The average length of follow-up was 28 months. RESULTS: The adjusted mean rate of progression of myopia was -0.60 (95% confidence interval -0.66, -0.55) diopters per year. The average rate of progression of myopia for children with a parental history of myopia was -0.63 (95% confidence interval -0.69, -0.56) diopters per year compared to -0.42 (95% confidence interval -0.57, -0.27) diopters per year for children whose parents were not myopic. The different measures of family history of myopia were related to rate of change in refractive error and refractive error in the final visit. There was no association between close work and myopia progression. CONCLUSIONS: A positive family history is related to the progression of myopia and final refractive error in Singapore children, thus supporting evidence that hereditary factors may play an important role in myopia progression.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Alcohol consumption and the incidence of hypertension: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

A close relationship between alcohol consumption and hypertension has been established, but it is unclear whether there is a threshold level for this association. In addition, it has infrequently been studied in longitudinal studies and in black people. In a cohort study, 8334 of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study participants, aged 45 to 64 years at baseline, who were free of hypertension and coronary heart disease had their blood pressures ascertained after 6 years of follow-up. Alcohol consumption was assessed by dietary interview. The type of alcoholic beverage predominantly consumed was defined by the source of the largest amount of ethanol consumed. Incident hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure >/=140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >/=90 mm Hg or use of antihypertensive medication. There was an increased risk of hypertension in those who consumed large amounts of ethanol (>/=210 g per week) compared with those who did not consume alcohol over the 6 years of follow-up. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.2 (0.85 to 1.67) for white men, 2.02 (1.08 to 3.79) for white women, and 2.31 (1.11 to 4.86) for black men. Only 4 black women reported drinking >210 g ethanol per week. At low to moderate levels of alcohol consumption (1 to 209 g per week), the adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 0.88 (0.71 to 1.08) in white men, 0.89 (0.73 to 1.09) in white women, 1.71 (1.11 to 2.64) in black men, and 0.88 (0.59 to 1.33) in black women. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in black men who consumed low to moderate amounts of alcohol compared with the nonconsumers but not in the 3 other race-gender strata. Models with polynomial terms of alcohol exposure suggested a nonlinear association in white and black men. Higher levels of consumption of all types of alcoholic beverages were associated with a higher risk of hypertension for all race-gender strata. The consumption of alcohol in amounts >/=210 g per week is an independent risk factor for hypertension in free-living North American populations. The consumption of low to moderate amounts of alcohol also appears to be associated with a higher risk of hypertension in black men.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed2001

G-protein beta3 subunit and alpha-adducin polymorphisms and risk of subclinical and clinical stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Essential hypertension is a significant risk factor for stroke. Genes contributing to interindividual variation in blood pressure levels and essential hypertension status may play a role in the etiology of stroke either through their effects on blood pressure levels or through separate pathways. For this reason, we sought to examine the association between the alpha-adducin (ADD1) G/W460 and G-protein beta3 subunit (GNbeta3) 825C/T polymorphisms and subclinical and clinical stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. METHODS: Subclinical stroke was determined by cerebral MRI. Subclinical cerebral infarct cases (n=202) were compared with a stratified random sample (MRI-CRS) identified from individuals participating in the MRI examination (n=211). Incidence of clinical ischemic stroke was determined by following the ARIC cohort for an average of 7.2 years for potential cerebrovascular events; 231 validated clinical ischemic strokes were identified. A stratified random sample of the ARIC cohort (CRS) (n=984) was used as the comparison group for the clinical cases. RESULTS: The frequency of the ADD1 W460 allele was determined for the subclinical cases (0.12), MRI-CRS (0.16), clinical cases (0.14), and CRS (0.17). The frequency of the GNbeta3 825T allele was determined in whites and blacks, respectively, for the subclinical cases (0.26, 0.73), MRI-CRS (0.31, 0.75), clinical cases (0.36, 0.72), and CRS (0.30, 0.72). The ADD1 W460 and GNbeta3 825T alleles were not significantly associated with subclinical stroke. The ADD1 W460 allele was also not a significant predictor of clinical stroke. The GNbeta3 825T allele was significantly associated with clinical stroke in whites after adjustment for age and sex (hazard rate ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.00) and after further adjustment for multiple stroke risk factors (hazard rate ratio, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.41). The GNbeta3 825T allele was not significantly associated with clinical stroke in blacks for either adjustment model. CONCLUSIONS: The GNbeta3 gene 825C/T polymorphism is significantly associated with incident clinical ischemic stroke in a white middle-aged American population, but not in blacks. This association does not appear to be mediated by established stroke risk factors, specifically blood pressure levels or hypertension status.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2001

Sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease: cross-sectional results of the Sleep Heart Health Study.

Disordered breathing during sleep is associated with acute, unfavorable effects on cardiovascular physiology, but few studies have examined its postulated association with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the cross-sectional association between sleep- disordered breathing and self-reported CVD in 6,424 free-living individuals who underwent overnight, unattended polysomnography at home. Sleep-disordered breathing was quantified by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)-the average number of apneas and hypopneas per hour of sleep. Mild to moderate disordered breathing during sleep was highly prevalent in the sample (median AHI: 4.4; interquartile range: 1.3 to 11.0). A total of 1,023 participants (16%) reported at least one manifestation of CVD (myocardial infarction, angina, coronary revascularization procedure, heart failure, or stroke). The multivariable-adjusted relative odds (95% CI) of prevalent CVD for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of the AHI (versus the first) were 0.98 (0.77-1.24), 1.28 (1.02-1.61), and 1.42 (1.13-1.78), respectively. Sleep-disordered breathing was associated more strongly with self-reported heart failure and stroke than with self-reported coronary heart disease: the relative odds (95% CI) of heart failure, stroke, and coronary heart disease (upper versus lower AHI quartile) were 2.38 (1.22-4.62), 1.58 (1.02- 2.46), and 1.27 (0.99-1.62), respectively. These findings are compatible with modest to moderate effects of sleep-disordered breathing on heterogeneous manifestations of CVD within a range of AHI values that are considered normal or only mildly elevated.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Association of educational achievement with pulsatile arterial diameter change of the common carotid artery: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study, 1987-1992.

Education is strongly inversely associated with common carotid artery intima-media thickness in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. The authors extended the ARIC study of preclinical atherosclerosis by evaluating the cross-sectional association of education with common carotid artery elasticity. This study included 10,091 Black and White men and women aged 45-64 years who were free of clinical coronary heart disease and stroke/transient ischemic attack. Arterial elasticity was assessed by pulsatile arterial diameter change (PADC), derived from phase-locked echo-tracking. The smaller the PADC, the stiffer the artery. Education was categorized into grade school, high school without graduation, high school with graduation, vocational school, some college, and graduate/professional school. PADC was directly associated with educational attainment. The mean PADCs, adjusted for age, height, diastolic diameter, systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure (linear and squared), ethnicity, gender, and smoking status, in successively higher education strata were 402 (standard error (SE) 5), 403 (SE 4), 407 (SE 3), 413 (SE 4), 416 (SE 2), and 417 (SE 4) microm (p = 0.007). To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time such an association has been reported. If arterial dilation impairment precedes arterial wall thickening in the atherosclerotic process, as recent studies on endothelial dysfunction suggest, these results indicate that low socioeconomic status may be associated with early arterial pathophysiologic changes-an effect that appears to be mediated by established cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Anthropometry↗