Association of systemic inflammatory activity with coronary and carotid atherosclerosis in the very elderly.

Objective: To verify the existence of association between plasma levels of pro- or anti-inflammatory mediators and atherosclerotic burden at coronary and carotid arteries in individuals aged of 80 or more years old.

Methods: Healthy individuals aged between 80 and 102 years old (n = 178) underwent evaluation of plasma cytokines and acute phase proteins, intima-media thickness (IMT) and presence of plaques in carotid arteries by ultrasound and coronary artery calcification (CAC) by cardiac computed tomography.

Results: There was no association between CAC and carotid plaques (p = 0.