Association Between Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Coronary Artery Stenosis in Angiography Patients

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients undergoing coronary angiography. Methods: A total of 230 consecutive patients (112 males, 118 females) who underwent both coronary angiography and carotid ultrasound were included. High-resolution B-mode, color Doppler, and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography were used to assess IMT in both carotid arteries. Patients were grouped based on IMT quartiles and the presence or absence of vascular disease (VD). Results: The mean IMT was significantly higher in female patients (P = 0.03). A strong positive correlation was found between carotid IMT and the severity of coronary artery stenosis (P < 0.001), with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.48, suggesting that higher IMT is linked to more severe coronary disease. Moreover, patients with a history of substance addiction exhibited higher IMT values compared to those without addiction (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Measuring carotid IMT through ultrasound provides a simple and non-invasive way to help assess cardiovascular risk. Our results indicate a clear association between greater carotid IMT and more severe coronary artery stenosis. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and to better define the role of carotid ultrasound in routine cardiac risk evaluation.