Metabolic syndrome and carotid artery intima-media thickness in military pilots.

Background: The common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCAIMT) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and diabetes mellitus in apparently healthy men. The relationship between features of metabolic syndrome (MS) and CCAIMT is not fully understood. We conducted this study to assess the cross-sectional relationship between CCAIMT and MS parameters in military pilots during their regular annual medical physical examinations.