Sonographic evaluation of common carotid artery intima-media thickness in adults with coexisting type two (2) diabetes and hypertension: A case-controlled study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension (HTN) are the two leading risk factors for atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is considered a reliable surrogate measure for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis including its progression and regression. The study aim at evaluating the intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in adults with coexisting diabetes mellitus and hypertension (DM+HTN) and compare with healthy controls.. A prospective case control study involving 115 adult subjects with coexisting DM+HTN and 144 healthy adult controls was carried out. Common carotid intima-media thickness (CCIMT) was measured at point approximately 1 cm distal to the right and left carotid bulb using the 7-12 MHz, multi-frequency linear array transducer of high resolution, touch Venue 50 ultrasound machine equipped with electronic callipers. The overall mean CCIMT was 1.13±0.40 mm and 0.82±0.23 mm for subjects with coexisting DM and HTN; and healthy controls, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in CIMT of subjects with DM+HTN compared to healthy controls (p=0.000 each for both males and females, respectively). There were positive correlations between CCIMT and age in subjects with DM+HTN (r=0.260 and r=0.424 for males and females respectively); with healthy controls (r=0.619 and 0.626 for males and females, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference in CCIMT between subjects with DM+HTN and healthy controls. This implies that the increase in CCIMT is associated with both DM and HTN. In addition, age has a significant positive relationship with CCIMT in both subjects with DM+HTN and healthy controls.