Impaired lung function is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness in middle-aged and elderly Chinese

PLoS One. 2013;8(2):e53153. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053153. Epub 2013 Feb 15.

Abstract

Background: Impairment of lung function was reported to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between lung function and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in participants without chronic pulmonary disease.

Methodology and principal findings: A total of 6,423 participants aged 40 years and above were recruited from Jiading District, Shanghai, China. Lung function, evaluated by forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) was measured with standard spirometry. CIMT was measured with high-resolution ultrasonography by trained physicians. Mean values of FVC (% pred) and FEV1 (% pred) in participants with elevated cIMT were significantly lower than in those without (0.92±0.20 vs. 0.99±0.19, 0.83±0.24 vs. 0.90±0.22; both p-values < 0.0001). The levels of cIMT in the lowest quartile of FVC (% pred) and FEV1 (% pred) were markedly higher than in the second, third and fourth quartile, respectively (p < 0.0001 for all). The lowest quartile of FVC (% pred) and FEV1 (% pred) was associated with increased odds of elevated cIMT, with the fully adjusted odds ratio of 1.34 and 1.41 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.65, p = 0.006, 95% CI 1.15-1.72, p = 0.0008), respectively.

Conclusions and significance: Impaired lung function is associated with elevated cIMT in middle-aged and elderly Chinese. These findings suggest the need to screen impairment of lung function in people without respiratory disease for the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in CVD prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / complications
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / physiopathology
  • Carotid Arteries / pathology*
  • Carotid Intima-Media Thickness*
  • Female
  • Forced Expiratory Volume
  • Humans
  • Lung / physiology*
  • Lung / physiopathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Vital Capacity

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the grants from the Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases of Ministry of Health (1994DP131044), the Sector Funds of Ministry of Health (201002002), the National Key New Drug Creation and Manufacturing Program of Ministry of Science and Technology (2012ZX09303006-001), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (number 81222008, number 81100564, number 30911120493 and number 81130016) and New One Hundred Person Project of the Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine 2011. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.