Carotid Doppler Ultrasonography in Preoperative Assessment of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery in an Iranian Population: Association Between Atherosclerosis Risk Factors and Carotid Stenosis

Background/Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of significant carotid artery stenosis and its association with the cardiovascular risk factors in a group of Iranian candidates for CABG. Patients and Methods: Three hundred and one patients with critical coronary artery disease, who were candidates for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) were evaluated by internal carotid Doppler study. The relations between age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, lipid profile, left main coronary stenosis greater than 50% by diameter and coronary artery disease with carotid stenosis were assessed. Results: Significant carotid stenosis greater than 70% was detected in 13 patients (4.3%). According to the meaningful relationship between significant carotid stenosis and low HDL serum level (lower than 45 in women and lower than 35 in men, p=0.028), hypertension (p=0.021), history of smoking (p=0.026) and left main coronary artery stenosis greater than 50% (p=0.035), they were identified as risk factors valuable enough to guide for selective screening. Conclusion: Among all cardiovascular risk factors, it seems that serum HDL, smoking, left main coronary stenosis and hypertension could be associated with significant carotid artery stenosis in CABG candidates.