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The Thick and Thin of It: What the Carotid Artery Can Tell Us

Baptist College of Health Sciences, Memphis, TN, ann.willis{at}bchs.edu

The purpose of the study was to determine (1) if there were early signs of intimal/medial wall thickening (IMT) in a sample of persons age 25 years and older and (2) what health problems and health behaviors were significant to this formation. The study comprised 85 participants. A health history questionnaire was used to obtain information on respondents’ health problems and health behavior. The measurements obtained from a sonogram of the carotid artery walls were compared with health history. Logistic regression and odds ratios were calculated to determine the rate of IMT associated with health behavior and health-related problems. It was found that increasing age and any history of smoking seem to increase the risk of IMT. Hypertension was only marginally significant in this study sample. Screening for IMT formation may be useful in health behavior change approaches.

Key Words: intimal medial thickening • atherosclerosis • carotid arteries

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