Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Indonesian Subjects with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Who Were Not Receiving Lipid-Lowering Agents

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is frequently utilized for detection of subclinical atherosclerosis. This study aims to investigate the association between the CIMT values and demographic characteristics, cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, lipid biochemistry profiles, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels among the Indonesian population. Subjects who had two or more CVD risk factors but were not receiving lipid-lowering therapy were recruited from six hospitals of Indonesia. Measurements of CIMT are obtained by ultrasonography of 12 sites within the common carotid artery. CVD risk factors, lipid and glucose profiles, and hs-CRP values were analyzed with respect to distribution of CIMT. The mean-max CIMT was 0.805 ± 0.190 mm (minimum, 0.268 mm; maximum, 1.652 mm) and the mean-mean CIMT was 0.614 ± 0.190 mm (minimum, 0.127 mm; maximum, 1.388 mm). Multivariate analyses confirmed an independent association between increasing CIMT and increasing age (regression coefficient = 0.004; p = 0.004). Our data show normative mean-mean CIMT data for Indonesian subjects with two or more CVD risk factors who are not receiving lipid-lowering therapy, which may guide CVD risk stratification of asymptomatic individuals in Indonesia.