ABSTRACT

Background: Subclinical atherosclerosis is an early asymptomatic stage of cardiovascular disease characterized by silent vascular abnormalities that may progress to major cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. These vascular changes, therefore, should be detected early for timely preventive intervention and cardiovascular risk reduction. Objective: To ascertain the prevalence and determinants of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic adults in the United States. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at the Department of Internal Medicine at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA, from June 2024 to May 2025. The research used a successive nonprobability sampling strategy to enroll 250 asymptomatic people aged 35 to 70. Subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed using carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores. All individuals had their clinical and demographic information documented thoroughly, including smoking behaviors, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity status, lipid profile values, and a family history of cardiovascular disease. The acquired data was statistically analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Subclinical atherosclerosis was identified in 92 (36.8%) participants. There was an increase in prevalence with age, and this was a highly significant difference. Male participants demonstrated higher prevalence compared to females. Subclinical vascular disease showed significant association with hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity and high LDL cholesterol (p<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed age >50 years, hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus and high LDL cholesterol as independent risk factors for subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusion: There was a significant proportion of asymptomatic adults who had evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis. Early vascular abnormalities were strongly associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The early identification and management of cardiovascular risk factors could limit the incidence of future cardiovascular complications. .

Keywords: Subclinical atherosclerosis, Coronary artery calcium, Carotid intima-media thickness, Cardiovascular risk factors, Asymptomatic adults, United States .

How to cite this article: Saeed Y. Prevalence and Determinants of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Adults in the United States. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(51s): 123-128. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.51s.12

Source of support: Nil.

Conflict of interest: None.