Background and Aims:
The PLIC-CHIESA study aims at identifying CVD risk/prevalence in the population of Chiesa in Valmalenco, a clustered village in the Italian Alps. The findings were compared with those from the PLIC study conducted in a large urban area (Milan, Italy).

Methods:
PLIC-CHIESA/PLIC volunteers underwent fasting blood sampling, clinical examination, carotid ultrasonography for c-IMT determination/atherosclerosis detection. Each PLIC-CHIESA subject (n=680, 18-75yrs) was matched by gender/age with one randomly selected PLIC study individual (n=2141, >18yrs), totalling 354 subjects (144 males, 210 females; 25-75yrs) from each study.

Results
Data are shown as mean(SD) or %. Compared to PLIC subjects, PLIC-CHIESA subjects had lower PREDIMED score (7.36(2.10) vs 8.34(1.65), p<0.001) and adherence (score <8): 54.1% vs 28.5% (p<0.001). They were more physically active (75.6% vs 56.3%, p<0.001), included more smokers (20.1% vs 17.2%, p<0.001) and less alcohol drinkers (62.7% vs 72.3%, p=0.014). Overweight/obesity prevalence, waist circumference, blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides were not different. The PLIC-CHIESA cohort showed lower HDL-C (58(13) vs 62(16) mg/dL, p<0.001) and higher LDL-C (131(31) vs 126(31) mg/dL, p=0.037), glycaemia (98(15) vs 92(15) mg/dL, p<0.001), uric acid (8.2(12) vs 4.8(1.2) mg/dL), p<0.001). Compared to PLIC subjects, PLIC-CHIESA participants showed lower mean c-IMT (0.641(0.116) vs 0.703(0.167) mm, p<0.001), and reduced carotid atherosclerosis (23.4% vs 31.4%, p=0.019) and CVD (9(2.5)% vs 27(7.6)% subjects) prevalences.

Conclusions:
The studies showed substantial differences concerning life-style features and cardiometabolic risk markers. In the PLIC-CHIESA cohort, lower sub-clinical atherosclerosis and CVD prevalence were found. Further insights into the determinants of such differences await the completion of PLIC-CHIESA enrollment.

03 - LIFE-STYLE AND CARDIO-METABOLIC PROFILE OF A POPULATION LIVING IN A CLUSTERED ALPINE VILLAGE (THE PLIC CHIESA STUDY): COMPARISON WITH AN URBAN COHORT (PLIC STUDY)