The inverse association of elevated serum bilirubin levels with subclinical carotid atherosclerosis

Background: Serum bilirubin is negatively associated with the development of coronary heart disease. In the present study, we have focused on the analysis of intimamedia thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery in hyper- and normobilirubinemic subjects. Methods: The study was performed on 111 men without manifested atherosclerosis. In all subjects, complete biochemical tests were determined along with the examination of IMT by carotid ultrasound. Results: The mean IMT in hyperbilirubinemic subjects as compared with controls was substantially lower (p = 0.017), and hyperbilirubinemic men also had very low age-adjusted prevalence odds ratios for having IMT above the 50th percentiles of controls, even after adjustment for selected vascular risk factors (p = 0.034). Conclusions: In the present study, we demonstrate the inverse relationship between serum bilirubin and IMT in healthy men. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel.