To assess the presence of atherosclerosis, investigators measured the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery, which is considered an early marker of atherosclerosis.

• 为了评估动脉硬化，研究人员针对总颈动脉测量了颈动脉内膜厚度(IMT)，这个测量被视为是动脉硬化的早期徵兆；