Carotid Artery Intimal-Medical Thickness Measured by B-mode Ultrasound in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Patients

Shin, Hyun Ho; Lee, Yeon Sang; Cho, Dong Hyeok; Lee, Dae Bae; Kim, Yong Joo; Park, Jae Hong; Lee, Dae Ho; Yang, Seung Won; Chung, Dong Jin; Chung, Min Young; Lee, Tai Hee

Abstract

Macrovascular diseases such as coronary, cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial disease are know to increase morbidity and premature death rate in diabetes.Ultrasonographic measurement of the carotid intimal-medial complex thickness is useful in examining early atherosclerotic changes of large vessels. And is has been reported that the carotid intimal-medial thickness in diabetic patients is related to the various risk factors of atherosclerosis.By the analysis of relationships between carotid intimal-medial thickness and the various risk factors of atherosclerosis in 46 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus(NIDDM) patients and 14 normal controls, we obtained the following results. 1) Carotid intimal-medial thickness was greater in NIDDM patients (1.26+/-0.54mm(Mean+/-SD)) than in normal controls(0.91+/-0.23 mm) [p=0.001] 2) Carotid intimal-medial thickness was greater in persons of age over 60 years(1.50+/-0.59 mm:diabetes, 1.23+/-0.48 mm:control) than in ones of age below 60 years(1.03+/-0.50 mm:diabetes, 0.85+/-0.13 mm:control) without concern with diabetes[p<0.01: diabetes]. 3) In concern of duration of diabetes, carotid intimal-medial thickness was greater in patients over 10 years (1.53+/-0.59 mm) than in patients below 10 years (1.09+/-0.42 mm) [p=0.01], And in concern of hypertension of diabetic patients, carotid intimal-medial thickness was greater in patients with hypertension (1.58+/-0.52 mm) than in patients without hypertension (1.18+/-0.52 mm) [p<0.05]. 4) Carotid intimal-medial thickness had no significant relation to smoking, hyperlipidemia and hemoglobin A1c. In this study, we found that carotid intimal-medial thickness was greater in non insulin dependent diabetic patients than in normal controls, and aging process, duration and hypertension of diabetes had an effect on the intimal-medial thickness.