Associations between carotid artery wall thickness and cardiovascular risk factors using multidetector CT
L Saba1, R Sanfilippo, R Montisci
1Departments of Radiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria, di Cagliari-Polo di Monserrato s.s. 554, Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy. lucasaba@tiscali.it
Insights
Increased carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) is linked to hypertension and diabetes. This study investigated CAWT using MDCTA and found significant associations with these cardiovascular risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Radiology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Increased carotid artery wall thickness (CAWT) is a known risk factor for stroke.
- Understanding CAWT's association with cardiovascular risk factors is crucial for stroke prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if CAWT, measured by MDCTA, is associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and smoking.
- To explore the relationship between CAWT and key cardiovascular risk factors.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 168 patients (120 men, mean age 68.96 years).
- CAWT measured using multidetector row CT scanner and digital caliper.
- Logistic regression used to assess associations between CAWT and risk factors.
Main Results:
- Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with increased CAWT (>1 mm).
- No significant association was found between increased CAWT and dyslipidemia or smoking.
- CAWT values ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 mm.
Conclusions:
- Increased CAWT is associated with hypertension and diabetes in the studied population.
- Further research is needed to generalize these findings to the broader population.
Background And Purpose:
It has been demonstrated that the increase in CAWT is associated with an increased risk of stroke and its severity. The aim of this study was to determine whether CAWT evaluated by MDCTA is associated with the following cardiovascular risk factors: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and smoking.
Materials And Methods:
This was a retrospective study. One hundred sixty-eight patients (120 men; mean age, 68.96 years ± 11.2 years SD) were analyzed by using a multidetector row CT scanner. In each patient, CAWT was measured by using an internal digital caliper. Continuous data were described as the mean value ± SD and were compared by using the Student t test. We performed simple logistic regressions to evaluate the association between CAWT and the following: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and smoking. A P value < .05 indicated statistical significance.
Results:
The distal common CAWT varied from 0.5 to 1.5 mm. We observed that hypertension and diabetes mellitus were associated with increased (>1 mm) CAWT (P = .0041 and P = .0172, respectively). There was no significant association between increased CAWT and dyslipidemia or smoking.
Conclusions:
In our selected group, the results of this work show that an increased CAWT is associated with the cardiovascular risk determinants hypertension and diabetes. Further studies are necessary to evaluate whether it is possible to apply our observations to the general population.
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