Study on asymptomatic carotid artery disease in high-risk population: A hospital-based study in the eastern part of India

Abstract

Background: Stroke is the most important cause of mortality and morbidity. Carotid artery disease is the leading cause of ischemic stroke. Carotid intima-media thickness can be used as an important tool for severity of atherosclerosis. This study revised the usefulness of carotid Doppler as a useful tool for stroke. Aim and Objective: (1) To assess the prevalence of asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (extra cranial) in high-risk individuals of the North-East Indian region (2) To find out the relationship of underlying disease with the severity of carotid artery stenosis. Methods: It was a prospective, cross-sectional study. The patients attending the department of general medicine, endocrinology, and cardiology were studied. Carotid duplex ultrasound was used to evaluate carotid arteries on 100 individuals having high risk factors such as age more than 40 years, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and coronary heart disease for atherosclerotic diseases. Results: The age range was 40–79 years. Forty-four percent participants had carotid artery diseases of which 6% had significant carotid artery stenosis. In our study, established risk factors for atherosclerosis as advancing age >60 years, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were not significantly associated with severe carotid artery stenosis. Conclusion: In this study, established independent risk factors for atherosclerosis were not statistically significant in causing severe carotid artery stenosis. This result may be due to the small study population. However, it is suggested to do study on large populations to establish or to rule out the association of significant carotid stenosis with established risk factors of atherosclerosis.