[Research on correlations between intima media thickness and arterial diameter in patients with stroke]

Stroke has become in the last years the first cause of mortality and major invalidity throughout the world. Intima media thickness is a very good marker for subclinical atherosclerosis and also for predicting future cardio and cerebrovascular events. The aim of this study is to try to find some correlations between the value of the intima media thickness and of arterial diameter in patients with stroke.

We evaluated 40 patients, selected by well defined criteria. The intima media thickness (IMT) and arterial diameter were measured with a standard method, by cervical ultrasound mode B, at the common carotid artery. Other parameters considered were age and sex.

Gender distribution of subjects in the study group was predominantly male (57,5%), with age between 26 to 78 years old, with a median age of 53,45 +/- 14,40 years old. Statistically, the study group was omogenous regarding age and sex. The IMT value in the study group has varied between 0,5 mm and 1,5 mm on the left side and between 0,5 mm and 1,4 mm on the right side. The value of the arterial diameter has varied between 5,60 mm and 11,90 mm on the left side and between 5,60 mm and 11,20 mm on the right side. Applying the t-Student test we could see no statistical significance (p>0,05). Correlating these values to sex and age we could see a direct correlation between the parameters measured, especially on the right side.

In this study the values of IMT and arterial diameter had no statistical significant value on their own, but were strongly correlated with sex and age in patients with stroke.