Carotid intima–media thickness is a predictor of coronary artery disease in South African black patients
Zaiboonnisa Holland, MSc (Med)
Zaiboonnisa Holland, Department of Radiology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;
Lucas M Ntyintyane, MB BCh
Lucas M Ntyintyane, Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;
Frederick J Raal, FRCP, FRCPC, FCP (SA), MMed, PhD
Frederick J Raal, Carbohydrate and Lipid Metabolism Research Unit, Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;
Geoffrey V Gill, MA, MSc, MD, FRCP
Geoffrey V Gill, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom;
Abstract
Background
Several studies have shown that increased carotid intima–media thickness (CIMT) confers risk of future coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. The present study aimed at investigating whether CIMT is a predictor of CAD in South African black patients.
Methods and Results
This was a prospective study of 53 patients, 41 men and 12 women, with ages ranging from 30 to 70 years. All patients had undergone coronary angiography for suspected CAD. B-mode ultrasound measurement of the carotid intima–media thickness was carried out in all patients, the operator being blinded to the coronary angiography findings. Twenty-nine of the 38 (76%) subjects with established CAD had increased CIMT, with an average mean CIMT of 1.13 mm. Single-vessel disease was present in 12 people, double-vessel disease in 11 and triple-vessel disease in 12. There was a significant positive linear trend between CIMT and the number of involved coronary vessels (p < 0.0001, r = 0.44).
Conclusions
Increased CIMT correlated with evidence of angiographically proven CAD. The median percentile scores showed a progressive increase as the number of vessels involved increased. CIMT could be useful as a screening tool for the presence of CAD in the South African black population.
