Biomarkers · Cardiac & Hemodynamics
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT)
Lower values go with lower risk of death. Not measured in our NHANES panel. The curve is drawn from the published study (source below).
CIMT and risk of death
Published curve higher than the NHANES fitNHANES fit higher
Risk of death relative to the curve's reference value, drawn from the published study (source below).
What studies found when this marker was changed
They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.
Measured changes in CIMT, study by study
1 effect with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Green points move the marker the way lower risk of death lies; amber the other way. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.
| Type | Intervention | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diet | Two years on a low-fat, Mediterranean or low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet in moderately obese adults (DIRECT-Carotid) | Mean CIMT change -1.1% (P=0.18) at 2 years; carotid vessel wall volume regressed 5% (-58.1 mm3) | RCT | Shai I, et al. Circulation. 2010. Dietary intervention to reverse carotid… |
| pharmacologic | Oral 17beta-estradiol 1 mg/day (plus sequential vaginal progesterone if uterus) vs placebo for a median 5 years in healthy early postmenopausal women (ELITE) | Slows CIMT progression: 0.0044 vs 0.0078 mm/year with placebo over a median 5 years in women less than 6 years past menopause (P=0.008) | RCT | Hodis HN, et al. The New England journal of medicine. 2016. Vascular Effects of… |
What else moves this marker
They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.
Diseases and conditions
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Ankylosing spondylitis · patients with AS vs healthy controls | SMD +0.725 (95% CI 0.443 to 1.008) | AS patients vs healthy controls · Adults with ankylosing spondylitis and healthy controls (24 studies) | meta analysis · PMID 30089757 |
| ↑ Hyperuricemia · hyperuricemic adults vs normouricemic controls | SMD +0.264 (95% CI 0.161 to 0.366) | hyperuricemia group vs control group · Adults with and without hyperuricemia (8 studies) | meta analysis · PMID 33837500 |
| ↑ Psoriasis vulgaris · patients with psoriasis vs controls | +0.17 mm (95% CI 0.12 to 0.22) | psoriasis patients vs control groups, pooled mean difference · Adults with psoriasis vulgaris and controls (48 studies) | meta analysis · PMID 39954202 |
Genetic predisposition
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ APOE e2 allele (p.Arg176Cys) · e2 carriers vs non-carriers | -1.4% | APOE e2 carriers vs non-carriers · European- and African-ancestry adults with common carotid IMT by ultrasound, CHARGE Consortium | meta analysis · PMID 27872105 |
Environmental and occupational exposures
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ Gestational organophosphate pesticide exposure (diethyl metabolites) · per one-interquartile-range increase in averaged maternal urinary sum-DEAP during pregnancy | -0.14 child CIMT z-score per IQR increase in maternal urinary sum-DEAP per one-interquartile-range increase in averaged maternal urinary sum-DEAP during pregnancy (95% CI -0.25 to -0.02) | higher vs lower prenatal diethyl phosphate metabolite concentrations · Mother-child pairs, Generation R Study, Rotterdam; children assessed at age 10 | prospective cohort · PMID 39447473 |
| ↓ Lactation duration (10+ months cumulative) · 10 or more months of lifetime lactation vs less than 1 month | -0.029 mm | 10+ months vs 0 to <1 month of cumulative lactation, 20 years later · Women aged 18-30 at baseline, parous, free of heart disease and diabetes; CARDIA study (USA) | prospective cohort · PMID 26241429 |
Sources
- Risk curve: Fritze 2020 (PMID 32805196): all-cause HR 1.73 (1.09-2.75) per 1-mm higher cIMT. Scaled to published population values.
- Fritze et al. Carotid Lumen Diameter Is Associated With All-Cause Mortality in the General Population. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2020;9:e015630.
Map Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) against another biomarker.
Related markers: Abdominal Aortic Calcification (AAC) · Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) · Cardiac (Valvular/Annular) Calcification · Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) · Copeptin · Coronary Artery Calcium Score (Agatston) · Corrected QT Interval (QTc) · Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP)