Association of carotid intima-media thickness with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease

Objectives: To examine, prospectively, whether theintima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotidartery and the overlying plaque predicts the presence andseverity of coronary artery events.Methods: Two hundred and one consecutive patients(100 men and 101 women), who had recently undergonecoronary angiography in Tabriz University of MedicalSciences, were enrolled in the study carried out from May2004 to May 2005. Measurements of IMT were performedby ultrasound, while blood pressure, blood sugar andcholesterol levels were recorded.Results: The mean IMT of the common carotid arterywas significantly higher in patients with coronary arteryABSTRACTdisease (CAD) compared with non-CAD patients, as well as in patients with significant CAD compared to nonsignificantCAD in both genders. The same was observedfor the plaque area. Clinical systolic blood pressure, clinicaldiastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein and highdensitylipoprotein cholesterol did not significantly differbetween the 3 groups. Fasting blood sugar was higher inthe non-significant CAD patients.Conclusion: The IMT of the common carotid artery is aclinically valuable parameter in the non-invasive diagnosisof non-significant CAD, as well as significant coronaryartery lesions