Background and objective: To evaluate the factors associated with intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaques in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and to assess the evolution following 1 year of treatment.
Patients and method: Subjects (n=201) diagnosed as having probable or definite FH according to the MED-PED criteria had a clinical history, physical examination, blood chemistry and lipid profile determined. Ultrasound was used to measure the IMT in both common carotid arteries and to assess the presence of plaques. The measurements were repeated in 123 of the patients after 1 year of treatment.
Results: Mean age (standard deviation) was 47.8 (13.2) years; 46.3% were males; 11.4% had a clinical history of cardiovascular disease (CVD); 15.9% were hypertensive; 26.4% were smokers; mean plasma total cholesterol concentration was 362 (49)mg/dL; 66.2% had received previous treatment with statins. In the multivariate analysis, baseline IMT was directly associated with age and history of CVD and inversely related to the years of treatment with statins. The presence of carotid plaques was associated directly with the cholesterol-years index and inversely with years of treatment with statins. The mean LDL-cholesterol reduction at 1 year of treatment was 50%. Neither the IMT nor the percentage of patients with plaques changed significantly following 1 year of treatment.
Conclusions: Intensive hypocholesterolemic treatment in our patients with probable or definite FH did not increase significantly either the carotid IMT or the prevalence of plaques.