COMMON CAROTID ARTERY INTIMA-MEDIA THICKNESS IN MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS WITH STROKE

Objectives: To determine significant intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery (CCA) in male and female patients with hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke and to see the risk factors of stroke.Methodology: A total of 150 patients aged 40 years of age and of both sexes with hemorrhagic and ischaemic stroke were included in this study. Patients with history of endartectomy, head injury, space occupying lesion and on anticoagulation were excluded. Thickness of common carotid artery intima-media of 0.5 mm was considered sig- nificant. Analysis was performed through SPSS-10.0. Chi-square test was applied to see association of increased wall thickness of common carotid artery with stroke and gender.Results: Male predominance was observed with M: F=1.23: 1. Mean age was 59.54±12.1 years. Among 150 patients of stroke, 13 (8.7%) patients had CCA-IMT of 0.5 mm on the left side and 8 (5.3%) patients had CCA-IMT of 0.5 mm on the right side. All patients with significant CCA-IMT thickness were of increasing age. The difference between proportions of an increased left and right wall thickness of common carotid artery between genders (p=0.225 p=0.484) was not significant. Hypertension was the commonest risk factor in 93 (62%) patients followed by diabetes mellitus in 36 (24%) patients and smoking in 32 (21.3%) patients.Conclusion: There was no significant association between intima-media thickness of common carotid artery with gender in patients with hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Hypertension and diabetes were the commonest risk fac-tors of stroke.