• Atherosclerosis is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries which develops slowly and gradually and can cause cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes.
• Atherosclerosis can be detected using a range of non-invasive imaging techniques even before any clinical symptoms occur (“subclinical atherosclerosis”).
• A technique commonly used in clinical practice is the ultrasound of the neck arteries, which allows assessment of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and characterisation of any atherosclerotic plaque.
• Other techniques for detecting vessel wall pathology and dysfunction include flow-mediated dilatation, ankle-brachial index, and pulse-wave velocity.

The Prospective Studies of Atherosclerosis (Proof-ATHERO) consortium collects world-wide data of epidemiological studies with atherosclerosis data. This unique collection of data allows us to study the development of atherosclerosis over life, better understand the influence of risk factors on atherosclerosis, and investigate clinical consequences of atherosclerosis.

Studies are eligible to join Proof-ATHERO, if they can provide:

• repeat assessments of one or more measures of atherosclerosis;
• detailed characterisation of study participants, including information on lifestyle, blood-based markers, and intake medication; and
• clinical outcomes, in particular cardiovascular events.