title: Carotid artery intima-media thickness could predict the presence of coronary artery lesions.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to examine whether intima-media thickness (IMT) predicts the presence of the coronary artery lesions independent of other risk factors including clinic blood pressure (BP), parameters of 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring, body mass index, serum cholesterol, and glucose levels. The study population consisted of 390 consecutive subjects who had recently undergone coronary arteriography; 51 subjects with no measurable lesions in their coronary arteries (control group) and 339 subjects with coronary artery lesions (coronary artery disease [CAD] group). Mean IMT of the common carotid artery (MCCA) and internal carotid artery (MICA) were significantly higher in subjects with CAD compare control subjects (P < .0001). Carotid IMT could predict the presence of coronary artery lesions independently of clinic or ambulatory BP values, BMI, serum cholesterol, and glucose levels (P < .01). Carotid IMT predicted the presence of significant coronary artery lesions with cutoff values 0.85 and 0.80 for MICA and MCCA, respectively. The IMT could be a clinical useful test for the presence of significant coronary artery lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, National and Kapodestrial University, Athens, Greece. vkotsis@physiology.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: Vasilios T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Kotsis
authors.forename: Vassiliki Ch
authors.initials: VCh
authors.lastname: Pitiriga
authors.forename: Stella V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Stabouli
authors.forename: Christos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Papamichael
authors.forename: Savvas T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Toumanidis
authors.forename: Stelios G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Rokas
authors.forename: Nikos A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Zakopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology*