TY - JOUR
T1 - Reproducibility of carotid vessel wall thickness measurements. the rotterdam study
AU - Bots, Michiel L.
AU - Mulder, Paul G.H.
AU - Hofman, Albert
AU - van Es, Gerrit Anne
AU - Grobbee, Diederick E.
PY - 1994/1/1
Y1 - 1994/1/1
N2 - We studied the reproducibility of measurement of ultrasonographically assessed common carotid intima-media thickness and assessed whether measurement error of intima-media thickness occurred randomly or was associated with potential determinants of atherosclerosis. Eighty participants of the Rotterdam Study underwent a second ultrasound scan of both carotid arteries within 3 months of the first scan. The replicate measurements involved the posterior intima-media thickness of the distal common carotid artery. Mean differences (SD) in intima-media thickness of the right common carotid artery between paired measurements of sonographers, readers and visits were -0.004 mm (0.10), 0.066 mm (0.07), and -0.013 mm (0.13), respectively. Similar results were obtained for the left common carotid artery. Measurement error of intima-media thickness, i.e. the absolute difference in measurements between two subsequent visits, increased significantly with increasing common carotid intima-media thickness. This association disappeared after logarithmical transformation of the intima-media thickness data. Age, sex, smoking, body mass index, serum lipids, fibrinogen, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly associated with the measurement error of intima-media thickness. Our findings indicate that measurements of common carotid intima-media thickness are highly reproducible. Measurement error of intima-media thickness is small and appears to be proportional with the level of intima-media thickness and is not significantly associated with most risk factors for atherosclerotic vessel wall disease.
AB - We studied the reproducibility of measurement of ultrasonographically assessed common carotid intima-media thickness and assessed whether measurement error of intima-media thickness occurred randomly or was associated with potential determinants of atherosclerosis. Eighty participants of the Rotterdam Study underwent a second ultrasound scan of both carotid arteries within 3 months of the first scan. The replicate measurements involved the posterior intima-media thickness of the distal common carotid artery. Mean differences (SD) in intima-media thickness of the right common carotid artery between paired measurements of sonographers, readers and visits were -0.004 mm (0.10), 0.066 mm (0.07), and -0.013 mm (0.13), respectively. Similar results were obtained for the left common carotid artery. Measurement error of intima-media thickness, i.e. the absolute difference in measurements between two subsequent visits, increased significantly with increasing common carotid intima-media thickness. This association disappeared after logarithmical transformation of the intima-media thickness data. Age, sex, smoking, body mass index, serum lipids, fibrinogen, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly associated with the measurement error of intima-media thickness. Our findings indicate that measurements of common carotid intima-media thickness are highly reproducible. Measurement error of intima-media thickness is small and appears to be proportional with the level of intima-media thickness and is not significantly associated with most risk factors for atherosclerotic vessel wall disease.
KW - Cardiovascular risk factors
KW - Carotid atherosclerosis
KW - Elderly
KW - Intima- media thickness
KW - Reproducibility
KW - Ultrasonography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028060552&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0895-4356(94)90196-1
DO - 10.1016/0895-4356(94)90196-1
M3 - Article
C2 - 7730896
AN - SCOPUS:0028060552
SN - 0895-4356
VL - 47
SP - 921
EP - 930
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
IS - 8
ER -