Acuson antares system

Ultrasound examination was performed with the use of a transvaginal probe and included the measurement of gestational sac diameters or the crown-rump length if an embryo was present. Examinations were performed using the Acuson Antares system (Siemens Medical Solutions, Malver, PA, United States) or Voluson E8 (GE Medical System, Zipf, Austria).

Carotid ultrasound was performed by an experienced ultasonographer who was blinded to the clinical data, using ACUSON Antares System (Siemens AG, Munich, Germany) equipped with a 4–13 MHz linear array transducer, according to established guidelines.²⁹, ³⁰ Carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) was measured after the subject was placed in the supine position. The CIMT was defined as the distance between edges of the lumen‐intima and the media‐adventitia echoes, in a plaque‐free section. CIMT was measured bilaterally, at the levels of common carotid, carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery. Mean values were calculated for all segments. According to the results of ARIC study, subclinical atherosclerosis was considered present if CIMT was higher than 0.9 mm.³¹, ³²