Prevalence of Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Adults from the Colombian Caribbean Coast: Results from the Cartagena Cohort Study

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a public health issue in low- and middle-income countries. Identification of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA) might contribute to the prevention of life-threating cardiovascular events. This study aimed to describe SCA prevalence in adults from the southern Caribbean. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 653 adults ages 18-80 years old. Participants provided sociodemographic and medical history, including cardiometabolic and respiratory health data, and underwent fasting blood tests and ultrasound imaging to assess carotid atherosclerosis. The prevalence of SCA was 29.5%. Subjects with SCA were 15.6 years older (P <0.001), had less education (P <0.001), and had lower socioeconomic levels (P <0.001) than those without SCA. Smoking was more frequent among subjects with SCA compared with non-SCA adults. Age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.01, P <0.0001), weight (OR: 1.002, P = 0.02), and income (OR: 0.99, P = 0.005) were associated with SCA prevalence. Current smoking was associated with higher frequency of atherosclerotic plaque (OR: 1.05, P = 0.042). In conclusion, SCA was highly prevalent among adults from the southern Caribbean. These findings might contribute to identifying vulnerable groups to CVD living in low- and middle-income settings.