Improving Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Using Hand Held Carotid Ultrasonography Study (MERC-CIMT)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Informed written consent from the subject prior to testing.
• Age ≥40 years old with at least 1 of the following risk factors for coronary artery disease.
• cigarette smoking
• diabetes mellitus
• hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or taking antihypertensive medication)
• hyperlipidemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥130 mg/dl or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol less than 40 mg/dl)
• family history of CV disease in a male first-degree relative <55 or a female first-degree relative <65 years old

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age >70 years
• Use of cholesterol-lowering medications in the past year
• Known active liver disease (AST or ALT >2x upper limit of normal in home lab)
• Known active thyroid disease (TSH outside normal limits in home lab)
• Uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure >180/100 mmHg)
• Chronic kidney disease (on dialysis or known creatinine >2.5 mg/dL)
• History of coronary artery disease (previous myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedure, angina pectoris with documented ischemia)
• History of cerebrovascular disease (previous stroke, transient ischemic attack, or carotid revascularization procedure)
• History of peripheral arterial disease (claudication with abnormal ankle-brachial indices or previous revascularization procedure)