Verhamme Peter, Kerkhof Flor, Buysschaert Ian, Rietzschel Ernst, de Groot Eric
Dept. of Vascular Medicine and Haemostasis, UZ Leuven Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium.
Acta Cardiol. 2010 Feb;65(1):59-66. doi: 10.2143/AC.65.1.2045890.
Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) can be measured non-invasively by means of B-mode ultrasound. Carotid ultrasonography is readily available and enables the assessment of the full spectrum of the atherosclerotic process, from normal artery walls to arterial occlusion. In population studies, CIMT correlates with present and future cardiovascular disease (CVD). The method has been well validated in histological and epidemiological studies. Controlled clinical trials have shown the value of CIMT as a surrogate marker to evaluate established therapies and novel anti-atherosclerotic drugs. At present, CIMT is increasingly being used as a surrogate aimed at reducing CVD risk at an individual level. In this paper we discuss the potential usefulness of CIMT as a risk marker in clinical programmes of CVD prevention.
颈动脉内膜中层厚度（CIMT）可通过B型超声进行无创测量。颈动脉超声检查易于实施，能够评估动脉粥样硬化进程的全貌，从正常动脉壁到动脉闭塞。在人群研究中，CIMT与当前和未来的心血管疾病（CVD）相关。该方法在组织学和流行病学研究中已得到充分验证。对照临床试验已表明CIMT作为替代标志物在评估既定疗法和新型抗动脉粥样硬化药物方面的价值。目前，CIMT越来越多地被用作旨在降低个体层面CVD风险的替代指标。在本文中，我们讨论了CIMT作为CVD预防临床项目风险标志物的潜在用途。
