Correlation between carotid artery intima-media thickness and luminal diameter with body mass index and other cardiovascular risk factors in adults

Abstract EN

Objectives : This study aimed to examine the correlation between carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and luminal diameter (LD) with body mass index (BMI) and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods : This observational cross-sectional study took place between June 2013 and March 2014 in the Radiology Department of Rizgary Teaching Hospital in Erbil, Iraq.

Non-randomly selected subjects ≥20 years old (n = 140) were divided into BMI groups and evaluated for the following cardiovascular risk factors : gender, age, hypertension (HTN), diabetes (DM), smoking, alcohol consumption, blood pressure, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels.

IMT and LD of the extracranial carotid arteries were measured by B-mode ultrasonography.

Results: The mean IMT was 0.8 ± 0.3 mm, ranging from a total mean of 0.7 mm in the normal BMI group to 1.0 mm in the extremely obese group.

A significant correlation was found between IMT and BMI (P = 0.04), but not between BMI and LD (P = 0.3).

No significant difference in mean IMT or LD was seen between genders.

Significant correlations were found between IMT and age, HTN, DM, high serum cholesterol and TG levels (P < 0.001).

An increase of one BMI unit caused a 0.009 mm increase in IMT and an increase of one year in age caused a 0.011 mm increase in IMT.

Conclusion : Age, obesity, HTN, DM, high serum cholesterol and TG levels were found to have an impact on carotid IMT, which is a strong marker for the early development of atherosclerosis.