Subclinical carotid atherosclerosis predicts all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in obese patients with negative exercise echocardiography

Table 2 Baseline echocardiography, treadmill exercise stress echocardiography and carotid ultrasonography characteristics

	n = 226	No plaque, n = 150	Plaque, n = 76	P value
Baseline echocardiography
Baseline ejection fraction, %	64.6 (5.2)	64.5 (5.2)	64.7 (5.3)	0.823
Mitral regurgitation	82 (36.3%)	43 (28.7%)	39 (51.3%)	0.001a
Aortic regurgitation	57 (25.2%)	33 (22.0%)	24 (31.6%)	0.16
Tricuspid regurgitation	116 (51.3%)	73 (48.7%)	43 (56.6%)	0.325
Pulmonary regurgitation	3 (1.3%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0%)	0.553
Pulmonary artery systolic pressure, mmHg	32.6 (7.3)	30.5 (5.8)	35.1 (6.2)	0.013a
Treadmill exercise stress echocardiography
Stress protocol				0.778
Naughton	14 (6.2%)	10 (6.7%)	4 (5.3%)
Bruce	212 (93.8%)	140 (93.3%)	72 (94.7%)
Systolic blood pressure
Baseline	141.8 (18.8)	140.7 (18.7)	143.9 (18.9)	0.222
Peak	197.6 (23.8)	196.6 (23.0)	199.7 (25.4)	0.361
Heart rate
Baseline	73.6 (12.4)	74.0 (11.9)	72.8 (13.5)	0.409
Peak	146.0 (13.1)	148.2 (13.4)	141.7 (11.5)	< 0.001a
Percentage	93.1 (5.6)	93.0 (5.5)	93.3 (5.8)	0.718
Maximal stress test	26 (11.5%)	17 (11.3%)	9 (11.8%)	1
Rate-pressure, × 103 mmHg beats/min
Basal	10.5 (2.4)	10.4 (2.3)	10.5 (2.6)	0.831
Peak	28.9 (4.4)	29.1 (4.4)	28.3 (4.3)	0.174
Exercise time, min	8.6 (2.9)	8.1 (2.9)	7.1 (2.4)	0.011a
METs	8.5 (2.9)	8.8 (3.1)	7.9 (2.3)	0.015a
Carotid ultrasonography
CIMT, mm	0.80 (0.20)	0.74 (0.18)	0.91 (0.18)	< 0.001a
CIMT > 0.9 mm	62 (27.4%)	27 (18.0%)	35 (46.1%)	< 0.001a

^aP < 0.05. CIMT: Carotid intima media thickness; METs: Metabolic equivalents.