Many conventional risk factors associated with the development of arterioatherosclerosis have been reported. Despite large scale epidemiological studies, about half the burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains unexplained by such conventional factors, although risk factor modification (when possible) is associated with improved outcome. Oxidative stress, has an important role in endothelial cell pathophysiology, in different aspects of the vascular response to stretch or shear stress, and in vascular aging. By this way, age-accelerated atherosclerosis has been induced in catalase activity-deficient mice. On the opposite, overexpression of catalase leads to both a delayed installation of arteriosclerosis and an increased life span in a murine model. We previously reported that the rs769214 SNP in the catalase (CAT) gene promoter was associated with a defect of renutrition of an elderly malnourished population; the same SNP was also showed to be involved in the development of an essential high blood pressure in an Asian population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between this SNP and the existence of carotid plaques in a large cohort of Caucasian subjects issued from the ERA study. Subject were classified according to the presence of two rs769214 G allele (CAT1 haplotype). In our study, the carotid plaques are higher in number and existence in CAT2 haplotype carriers. This result remains after sex and age adjustment. In conclusion, our results indicate that CAT rs769214 SNP A allele may be a risk factor that contribute to carotid plaques in Caucasians.