Carotid artery intima media thickness in relation with atherosclerotic risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

The present study was carried out to study the correlation between carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) with risk factors for atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic events in Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients. The predictive value of CIMT as an indicator of early atherosclerosis was determined and the various atherosclerotic risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus were studied. Our study showed that CIMT was significantly higher in those type 2 diabetic patients who had atherosclerotic events than in those patients who had no atherosclerotic events. It was also found that waist hip ratio showed a significant positive correlation and independent association with CIMT emphasizing the emerging concept of central obesity. Duration of diabetes, urinary albumin excretion rate, hypertension and glycated hemoglobin had positive correlation with CIMT, but could not assume statistical significance. Age, smoking and dyslipidemia did not show any association with CIMT.