Carotid Plaque and Intima-Media Thickness Assessed by B-Mode Ultrasonography in Subjects Ranging From Young Adults to Centenarians

Abstract

Background and Purpose-To investigate relationships among plaque formation, increasing intima-media thickness, and age, we examined ultrasonographically carotid arteries of subjects who had no major atherosclerotic risk factors and who ranged in age from young adults to centenarians. Methods-We studied 319 healthy subjects (154 men, 165 women; age range, 21 to 105 years) with no history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or atherosclerotic disease. Mean intima-media wall thickness (IMT) of common carotid arteries at plaque-free sites and prevalence of plaques were evaluated by B-mode ultrasound. Results-Mean common carotid IMT increased in a linear manner with age for all decades of life, including centenarians [IMTϭ(0.009ϫAge)ϩ0.116] (rϭ0.83). In centenarians (nϭ30), intima-media complexes were diffusely thickened (mean IMT, 1.01 mm). Plaque prevalence increased up to the tenth decade of life (83.3%, nϭ30) but decreased in centenarians (60.0%). IMT and plaque prevalence were closely associated in the seventh and eighth decades of life but not at older ages. Conclusions-The present study indicates that increased IMT is a physiological effect of aging that corresponds to diffuse intimal thickening, especially in very elderly persons, and that IMT is distinct from pathological plaque formation.

Vascular Remodeling of the Carotid Artery in Patients with Untreated Essential Hypertension Increases with Age.

“…Common carotid artery IMT has also been shown to increase in a linear manner throughout life (20). And other studies have reported that carotid arterial IMT was greater in hypertensive than in normotensive subjects who were matched for age and cardiovascular risk factors (16,21).…”

Slower Decline of Glomerular Filtration Rate in the Japanese General Population: A Longitudinal 10-Year Follow-Up Study

“…The systemic vascular lesion caused by hypertension may influence the rate of GFR decline after age 50 and older. A previous study reported that the mean common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) increased in a linear manner with age in healthy subject, and the increase was more significant in the subjects with age 50 and older than in subjects with younger age (19). The carotid IMT was greater in patients with CKD than healthy controls at age 50 and older; however, the IMT in the patients was not different from that of healthy controls at age 40-49 (20).…”

Arterial and Cardiac Aging: Major Shareholders in Cardiovascular Disease Enterprises

“…In other words, excessive intimalmedial thickening in humans is not necessarily synonymous with "early" or "subclinical" atherosclerosis. 45 Rather, as the arterial wall becomes remodeled during aging, it becomes super-sensitive to risk factors (eg, high-lipid diets, etc) not usually encountered by animals. The interaction of these risk factors with the age-altered vascular substrate is clearly exemplified by the reduced threshold for or accelerated development of experimental atherosclerosis in older animals subjected to an atherogenic diet.…”