Table 3 Multivariate models showing associations between cardiovascular risk factors and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in young adults (age <35 years, n = 181).

IMT versus	Stand. β±sem	p-value	Stand. β±sem	p-value	Stand. β±sem	p-value	Stand. β±sem	p-value
	Model 1		Model 2		Model 3		Model 4
Age	0.238 ± 0.084	=0.0050	0.229 ± 0.084	=0.0069	0.234 ± 0.084	=0.0057	0.234 ± 0.081	=0.0042
Sex (male)	0.111 ± 0.090	=0.219	0.102 ± 0.090	=0.261	0.103 ± 0.088	=0.243	0.145 ± 0.083	=0.082
BMI	0.025 ± 0.085	=0.767	0.008 ± 0.086	=0.926	0.018 ± 0.085	=0.835	0.002 ± 0.082	=0.983
Regular smoking	0.047 ± 0.083	=0.575	0.034 ± 0.084	=0.684	0.044 ± 0.083	=0.602	0.026 ± 0.081	=0.747
Regular alcohol	−0.055 ± 0.081	=0.496	−0.035 ± 0.083	=0.669	−0.053 ± 0.081	=0.517	−0.067 ± 0.079	=0.398
Diabetes mellitus	0.009 ± 0.074	=0.908	0.010 ± 0.074	=0.892	0.008 ± 0.074	=0.913	0.026 ± 0.072	=0.715
Treatment for HT	0.077 ± 0.076	=0.315	0.077 ± 0.076	=0.312	0.074 ± 0.076	=0.329	0.065 ± 0.074	=0.383
Mean arterial pressure	0.030 ± 0.080	=0.706	0.020 ± 0.080	=0.806	—		—	—
Heart rate	0.055 ± 0.080	=0.494	0.065 ± 0.080	=0.415	0.056 ± 0.076	=0.474	0.124 ± 0.078	=0.113
Metabolic Factors
Ln Total/HDL cholesterol	—	—	0.097 ± 0.078	=0.215	—	—	—	—
Hemodynamic factors
Central arterial SBP	—	—	—	—	0.065 ± 0.078	=0.403	—	—
Pb	—	—	—	—	—	—	0.246 ± 0.075	=0.0013
Model r²	0.0947	<0.0001	0.1028	<0.0001	0.0976	<0.0001	0.1504	<0.0001

IMT versus	Stand. β±sem	p-value	Partial r	(95% CI)
	Final model		Final model
Age	0.224 ± 0.081	=0.0064	0.207	(0.059 – 0.345)
Sex (male)	0.131 ± 0.081	=0.118	0.120	(−0.031 – 0.264)
BMI	−0.023 ± 0.083	=0.783	−0.021	(−0.170 – 0.129)
Regular smoking	0.012 ± 0.081	=0.877	0.012	(−0.138 – 0.161)
Regular alcohol	−0.045 ± 0.080	=0.577	−0.043	(−0.191 – 0.108)
Diabetes mellitus	0.028 ± 0.072	=0.696	0.030	(−0.120 – 0.179)
Treatment for HT	0.064 ± 0.074	=0.384	0.067	(−0.084 – 0.214)
Mean arterial pressure	—	—	—	—
Heart rate	0.133 ± 0.078	=0.089	0.130	(−0.020 – 0.274)
Metabolic Factors
Ln Total/HDL cholesterol	0.103 ± 0.075	=0.172	0.104	(−0.046 – 0.250)
Hemodynamic factors
Central arterial SBP	—	—
Pb	0.248 ± 0.075	=0.0011	0.246	(0.099 – 0.381)
Model r²	0.1569	<0.0001

The basic model included age, sex, BMI, regular smoking, regular drinking, diabetes mellitus, treatment for hypertension, mean arterial pressure (except for models with hemodynamic pressure factors due to collinearity) and heart rate. Subsequent models included those metabolic or hemodynamic factors that were significant in bivariate associations (Table 2). The final model included both metabolic and hemodynamic factors, where the most significant for each were chosen, and total /HDL cholesterol was included as a comparator. Significant associations are shown in bold type. Β, slope.
BMI body mass index, BP blood pressure, BSA body surface area, CI confidence interval, HDL high-density lipoprotein, HT hypertension, Ln, natural logarithm, Pb backward wave pressure, r=Pearson’s correlation coefficient, SBP systolic blood pressure, Stand, standardised.

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