Does the psychological risk exposure increase carotid plaque detection among the Chinese midlife population? A latent class and regression analysis

Abstract Aims The aim of this study was to determine whether the psychological risk exposures increase carotid plaque detection in the Chinese midlife population. Methods and results This study utilized baseline data from an ongoing prospective cohort study (One Cardiovascular Health Study). Psychological risk exposure was created by including anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress through latent class analysis. The results showed that the average age of the 1301 subjects was 37.01 ± 5.59 and 79.55% were female. The rate of carotid plaque was 4.1%. Psychological risk was categorized into three classes: low (n = 735), medium (n = 472), and high (n = 94). After multiple adjustments in the regression model, individuals categorized in the high psychological risk group exhibited significantly higher probabilities of carotid plaque compared with those in the low psychological risk group (OR: 3.744, 95% CI: 1.568–8.937, P = 0.003). The area under the curve for a composite of age, gender, total cholesterol, total triglyceride, and psychological risk stood at 0.762 (95% CI: 0.703–0.820), surpassing combinations excluding psychological risk (P < 0.05). Comparable outcomes were observed for anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms, but not for perceived stress. Conclusion Psychological risk exposure was an independent contributor to carotid plaque detection in the Chinese midlife population. Incorporating psychological risk exposure alongside traditional carotid plaque risk factors may enhance the accuracy of diagnosing carotid plaques. Future research should focus on developing screening strategies and targeted interventions to address psychological risk.