A comparative analysis of sonographic carotid artery Doppler indices in type 2 diabetics and non-diabetics

Background and Aim: Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a chronic metabolic disorder of global concern with signs of hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance, relative lack of insulin, or both. Stroke is a possible complication of this metabolic disorder as a result of advanced carotid artery atherosclerosis, which diabetic patients develop with attendant carotid blood flow changes. The present study evaluated sonographic carotid artery blood flow velocities in individuals with type 2 diabetics and compared with values in normoglycemic controls. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective case–control study, in which we evaluated carotid Doppler indices in 125 consenting confirmed type 2 diabetics (cases) and 125 age- and gender-matched normoglycemic healthy controls for a period of 6 months (October 2019 to March 2020). The diabetics (cases) were recruited using systematic sampling method and the controls via convenience sampling. Demographic data and anthropometric measurements as well as ultrasound findings were entered into a Microsoft Office Excel Database and analyzed using International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21. Tables, scatter-plot graphs, and bar charts were used in showing and evaluating the findings. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to assess correlation between two continuous variables. Results: The mean age of type 2 diabetics was 67.06±9.8 years, whereas that of the non-diabetics was 66.98±10.7. Females were in majority in both groups (64 in diabetics and 70 in non-diabetics). There were 61 males in the diabetics and 55 males in the non-diabetics. The mean carotid blood flow velocities in the diabetics and non-diabetics were, respectively, as follows: common carotid artery (CCA) end-diastolic velocity (EDV) 21.03±2.3 and 25.22±2.5, CCA peak systolic velocity (PSV) 81.70±4.1 and 83.60±3.6, internal carotid artery (ICA) EDV 17.99±5.6 and 21.57±2.0, ICA PSV 69.30±5.1 and 73.87±2.1, and ICA/CCA PSV ratio 0.83±01 and 0.91±0.1. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetics had significantly lower carotid blood flow velocities than non-diabetics. This suggests that proper management and compliance with care may reduce the development of features of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetics.