Relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and the presence and extent of coronary stenosis in type 2 diabetic patients with carotid atherosclerosis but without history of coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the relationship between the presence and extent of coronary stenosis and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in type 2 diabetic patients without history of coronary artery disease (CAD) but with carotid atherosclerosis.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 91 type 2 diabetic patients underwent multi-slice computed tomography coronary angiography.

RESULTS: Max-IMT in the ≥ 50% stenosis group by multi-slice computed tomography coronary angiography estimation was significantly greater than the 0-25 and 25-50% stenosis group (2.68 ± 0.77 vs. 1.61 ± 0.49 mm, P < 0.0005, and 2.14 ± 0.81 mm, P < 0.05, respectively), and max-IMT in the 25-50% stenosis group was significantly greater than the 0-25% stenosis group (P < 0.05) after adjustment for age, sex, duration of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. In the analysis for trend through the categories of max-IMT, as max-IMT increased, the percentage of ≥ 50% stenosis increased and the percentage of 0-25% stenosis decreased.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that max-IMT might be closely associated with the extent of coronary stenosis in type 2 diabetic patients without history of CAD but with carotid atherosclerosis.