Could Systemic Inflammation in Healthy Individuals With Obesity Indicate Subclinical Atherosclerosis?

Abstract

Obesity is one of today’s pandemics. The link between obesity and inflammation is well established and contributes to atherogenesis. We aimed to determine the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and inflammation in healthy obese patients (n = 289). The patients were referred to the outpatient clinic due to obesity but had no chronic diseases. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as present in participants with cIMT values greater than those expected according to their age group. In patients with subclinical atherosclerosis, the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (1.86 ±.65 vs 1.57 ±.45, P