Comparative Study of Arteriosclerosis in Young and Elderly Individuals Using Carotid Artery Ultrasonography

BackgroundAtherosclerosis-related strokes in middle-aged to elderly individuals have become a significant concern due to the risk to their lives and the deterioration of their quality of life. Ultrasonographic evaluation is becoming evident that it is useful for preventing strokes. However, many studies to date have used middle-aged and older subjects. ObjectiveSince Shubun University has many students, as well as older faculty and staff, we searched for how effective carotid artery ultrasonographic evaluation is in predicting future cerebral infarction and other vascular disorders by comparing arterial stiffness between young and elderly subjects. MethodsWe examined the carotid arteries of 89 healthy adults (37 males and 52 females) from Shubun University, ranging in age from 19 to 77 years old. We measured the intima-media thickness (IMT), the plaques, and the vessel diameter following the guidelines for carotid artery ultrasonography. ResultsIMT showed a significant age-related increase in both men and women in various parts of the carotid artery, except for women in the bifurcation area in our study. The overall max IMT of the carotid artery showed a significant age-related increase in both men and women. While carotid artery IMT did not change much until the 40s, there was a trend of thickening in the 50s to 60s. Plaque formation began to appear around the 40s. Age-related changes in vascular diameter were more pronounced in older men, particularly those aged 50 and above. ConclusionsThe results revealed that IMT, the number of plaques and the inner diameter of the carotid artery, remained largely unchanged up to the age of 40, after which they began to increase.