Longitudinal trajectories of lipid parameters and their associations with mid-life carotid intima-media thickness

Abstract

Abstract Background/Introduction Studies showed positive associations between previous dyslipidemia and subsequent subclinical atherosclerosis. Purpose To examine the longitudinal association of cumulative burden of different lipid parameters and subsequent carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). Methods Using data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study from year 0 (Y0) to year 20 (Y20), young adulthood, midlife, and also longitudinal cumulative burdens (estimated by the area under the curve (AUC) using nonlinear mixed-effects methods) values of different lipid parameters including TC, LDL-C, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, Remnant-C, and Ln TG were considered as exposures. Linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of each 1-SD change in exposure variables on mean CIMT by sex-race group. Results In 2991 black and white women and men participants, young adulthood, midlife, and cumulative burden of TC, LDL, and non-HDL were associated with the increased mean of CIMT in black and white and also men and women populations; higher impacts were founded in whites compared to blacks and men compared to women for young adulthood and cumulative burden values (all p for interactions <0.05). In terms of other lipid parameters, in women and whites, longitudinal increases in Remnant-C and Ln-TG cumulative burdens were associated with increased mean CIMT, whereas increases in HDL-C cumulative burdens were associated with decreased mean CIMT. Conclusions Midlife to later-life cumulative burdens of different lipid parameters are associated with mean CIMT which these associations are different between races and genders.12