title: Assessment of carotid artery dimensions by ultrasound in non-smoker healthy adults of both sexes.
abstract: Assessment of carotid artery lumen diameter and intima-media thickness is becoming as a surrogate marker of early evaluation of cardiovascular disease. Present study aims to describe the normal carotid dimensions in healthy adults of both sexes. A total of 123 healthy volunteers including 65 men and 58 women, aged 21 to 60 years (mean +/- SD; 35.66 +/- 8.84 years) were studied. Ultrasound study of both carotid arteries were performed with a 7.5 MHz linear array transducer. Common carotid artery lumen diameter ranged from 4.3 mm to 7.7 mm. Difference was not noted between left and right common carotid artery lumen diameter (5.78 +/- 0.57 mm and 5.86 +/- 0.66 mm), and internal and external carotid artery lumen diameter as well. Both left and right common carotid artery, internal and external carotid artery lumen diameter tended to be larger (p < 0.05) in men than women. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness ranged from 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm. Difference was not noted between left and right common carotid intima-media thickness when separately analyzed among men, women and the entire population. Difference was also not noted in comparison between men and women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Common carotid artery and internal and external carotid artery lumen diameter tends to be larger in men than women among young adults. There is no difference between left and right carotid artery lumen diameter. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness is similar in comparison between left and right and both sexes.
authors.affiliation: Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, PO Box No. 11360, Kathmandu, Nepal. yrlimbu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Yuba Raj
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Limbu
authors.forename: Ghanshyam
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gurung
authors.forename: Rabi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malla
authors.forename: Rajib
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajbhandari
authors.forename: Shyam Raj
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Regmi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers