AIP and carotid atherosclerosis: Unlike isolated lipid measurements, AIP integrates TG and HDL-C to reflect the balance between pro- and anti-atherogenic lipids, and accumulating evidence confirms its association with key atherosclerotic phenotypes: higher AIP levels correlate with increased carotid intima-media thickness, accelerated plaque progression, and elevated incidence of carotid atherosclerosis (3–6).