Mediation of cardiovascular risk factor effects through subclinical vascular disease: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

It is unclear to what extent subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as coronary artery calcium (CAC), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) are mediators of the known associations between traditional cardiovascular risk factors and incident CVD events. We assessed the portion of the effects of risk factors on incident CVD events that are mediated through CAC, CIMT, and FMD.

Approach and results

Six thousand three hundred fifty-five of 6814 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants were included. Nonlinear implementation of structural equation modeling (STATA mediation package) was used to assess whether CAC, CIMT, or FMD are mediators of the association between traditional risk factors and incident CVD even

SUBMITTER: Yeboah J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4329880 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature