Carotid intima media thickness is a measure of the thickness of wall of the carotid, a blood vessel located near the heart. Throughout the years, fat deposits along these walls (causing atherosclerosis) and the amount of deposits depends on multiple factors including genetic factors, poor diet quality and lack of physical activity. Larger fat deposits (and hence, thicker walls) are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
The goals of our study are to
1- identify new genetic markers that predispose to higher levels of fat deposit and thicker carotid walls
2- investigate the age around which these genes are activated (eg. identify which ones are active at an earlier age versus the ones that are activate later in life)