B-Mode-Detected Carotid Artery Plaque in a General Population

Background and Purpose There is little information on the distribution of atherosclerotic lesions of the extracranial carotid artery wall in free-living populations. The purpose of the present study was to describe the prevalence from 1987 through 1989 of extracranial carotid artery plaque and plaque with acoustic attenuation (shadowing) lesions in a general population of white and black adults from four US communities. Methods B-mode ultrasound was used to characterize wall lesions in the common and internal carotid arteries and at the carotid artery bifurcation in 14 046 men and women 45 to 64 years old who participated in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study baseline survey. Results Thirty-four percent of participants had plaque and 6.4% had plaque with acoustic shadowing. The prevalence of plaque with acoustic shadowing increased steadily with age from 2.5% at ages 45 to 49 to 12.4% at ages 60 to 64. Overall, whites had more plaque with acoustic shadowing lesions than