Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the total cardiovascular risk assessed by SCORE system and vascular markers: carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), arterial stiffness indices, brachial artery flow mediated dilatation (FMD) and the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI).

Background: Carotid IMT, arterial stiffness indices, FMD and ABI are markers of subclinical atherosclerosis. The SCORE risk system offers direct estimation of ten-year total fatal cardiovascular (CV) risk. The relationship between these markers and SCORE risk has not been investigated.

Methods: We studied 160 subjects without cardiovascular disease (aged 49.91±7.16 years, 69 males). Traditional risk factors, carotid IMT, carotidradial pulse wave velocity (crPWV), stiffness index (SI), measured by photoplethysmography, brachial artery FMD and the ABI were assessed. Laboratory tests included serum lipid and glucose profile. The total CV risk was evaluated by SCORE system.

Results: By multivariate analysis carotid IMT (p < 0.001) and SI (p = 0.008) were correlated with SCORE risk. Brachial artery FMD, ABI and crPWV didn’t correlated significantly with SCORE risk (p = 0.052, p = 0.110 and p = 0.937 respectively). In stepwise regression models that include carotid IMT, crPWV, SI, FMD and ABI, only carotid IMT⩾ 0.9mm correlated with high total CV risk (SCORE ⩾ 5%). Odds ratio for increased CV risk was 8.56 (CI 95% 3.109–23.567). The IMT cut-off point at 0.9mm predicts high CV risk (sensitivity 67.4%, specificity 78.6%).

Conclusions: Carotid artery IMT and arterial stiffness marker SI predict total CV risk. Carotid IMT is a prognostic marker for high CV risk.