In the present review, associations between traditional vascular risk factors (VRFs) and carotid intimamedial
thickness progression (C-IMTp) as well as the effects of therapies for VRFs control on C-IMTp were
appraised to infer causality between each VRF and C-IMTp. Cohort studies indicate that smoking, binge drinking,
fatness, diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are associated with accelerated C-IMTp. An exception
is physical activity, with mixed data. Interventions for the control of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and
hypercholesterolemia decelerate C-IMTp. Conversely, scarce information is available regarding the effect of
smoking cessation, stop of excessive alcohol intake and management of the metabolic syndrome. Altogether,
these data support a causative role of several traditional VRFs on C-IMTp. Shortcomings in study design and/or
ultrasonographic protocols may account for most negative studies, which underlines the importance of careful
consideration of methodological aspects in investigations using C-IMTp as the outcome.