Carotid artery bruits: prevalence survey and differential diagnosis

From a 10% sampling of the Olmsted County, Minnesota, population, persons of age 45 years and older were selected randomly in predetermined age and sex groupings and examined for cervical murmurs. Five hundred nine persons representing approximately 1% of all persons in the population between 45 and 54 years old, 2.5% of those 55 to 64 years old, and 3.5% of those more than 65 years old were included in the study. A cervical murmur of some type was heard in 64 persons (12.6%). Localized, midcarotid bifurcation bruits were noted in 22 persons (4.3%). Of this last group, 15 persons (2.9%) were asymptomatic. The prevalence of localized, asymptomatic carotid arterial bruits increased with age: 0.9% at 45 to 54 years, 2.1% at 55 to 64 years, 3.8% at 65 to 74 years, and 5% at 75 years and older; it was higher in females (4.4%) than in males (1.6%).