The study of carotid intima-media thickness in prediabetes and its correlation with cardiovascular risk factors

Background: Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, so-called prediabetes (impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose), and overt type 2 diabetes are all associated to more extensive and even premature atherosclerosis both in the coronary and the carotid arteries. They are all found to be associated with cardiovascular risk factors. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is considered surrogate marker of atherosclerosis. Early and cheap method of detecting atherosclerosis rules out the burden of cardiovascular disease in society. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective case–control study of CIMT in patients having prediabetes. A total of 100 patients of prediabetes and equal number of age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled. Bilateral assessment of IMT was done in common carotid artery. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, using Chi-square test, odd's ratio, Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. The software used in this analysis was SPSS version 17.0 and GraphPad Prism version 5.0. P <0.05 was considered as a level of statistical significance. Results: About 56% of cases were male and 44% were females, and in controls, 58% were male and 42% were female. Mean age of cases was 45.06 ± 13.08 and that of controls was 44.15 ± 13.64. Mean value of CIMT for cases (0.79 ± 0.06 mm) was higher than for controls (0.72 ± 0.02 mm). The difference between the two groups was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05, S). Conclusion: Mean CIMT was higher in prediabetes group in comparison to controls; however, in both groups, CIMT was not in the abnormal range. Body mass index and waist-hip ratio were significantly higher in prediabetes as compared to controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in prediabetes as compared to controls. Total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), and very LDL were significantly higher in prediabetes, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was significantly lower in prediabetes as compared to controls. According to this model, among cases, serum Tg and age were found to be responsible for the maximum variability of CIMT.