Prognostic Value of the Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness for the Presence and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Over the past decade, the measurement of carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography has emerged as one noninvasive method of choice for determining the anatomic extent of atherosclerosis and its progression and for assessing cardiovascular and stroke risk (1–4). In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that carotid artery IMT measurements obtained by ultrasonography correlate well with pathologic measurements, and numerous investigators (5) have demonstrated the reproducibility of this technique and the strong correlation between IMT and classic risk factors (male sex, aging, overweight, elevated blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking). Many studies (6–8) have shown that the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients is two or three times higher than that in nondiabetic control subjects. A few …