Evaluation of Carotid Intimal Thickness in Type 2 Diabetic Individuals by Colour Doppler Ultrasonography in a Teaching Hospital in Hyderabad, Telanaga, India

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic condition in our country and is an established modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and ischemic stroke. Carotid Doppler ultrasonography is a popular tool for evaluating atherosclerosis of the carotid artery. Its two-dimensional grayscale can be used for measuring the intima-media thickness, which is a very good biomarker for atherosclerosis and can aid in plaque characterisation. We intend to evaluate carotid intimal thickness by colour Doppler ultrasonography in type 2 diabetic individuals in a teaching hospital. METHODS A prospective study was done among 70 cases of diabetes mellitus in whom ultrasonography (USG) was done in the Department of General Medicine, Maheshwara Medical College, Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana. RESULTS In the present study, study participants were in the age group of 20 - 70 years. Majority of the cases was in the 41 - 50 years age group with a slight male predominance and the male to female ratio was 1.8:1. In this study, intimal medial thickness (IMT) change of 0.07 mm was observed. Within the observation period of eight months, the IMT of diabetic patients increased by an average of 0.06 mm. CONCLUSIONS Colour Doppler ultrasonography of carotid is an important imaging modality for early detection of carotid artery stenosis in diabetic patients who are at risk for developing carotid atherosclerosis. It should be a routine practice to screen diabetic patients for carotid atherosclerosis.