Carotid Atherosclerosis in Asymptomatic Patients with at Least One Cardiovascular Risk Factor: A Cross-Sectional Study in Yaounde, Cameroon

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is a leading cause of vascular disease worldwide. One of its main locations is in the carotid artery which is implicated in 20% of ischemic strokes. This study aimed to determine the frequency of carotid atherosclerosis in a group of asymptomatic patients with at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study from January to June 2021 (6 months). We included consenting adults followed up at the Yaounde Central Hospital and the Yaounde University Teaching Hospital, aged at least 50 years and having at least one cardiovascular risk factor such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, or obesity. A Doppler ultrasound of the supra-aortic trunks was performed on each patient. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-2 test for bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression for multivariate analyses. The threshold of significance was set at 0.05. Results: A total of 75 participants were included of which 26 were men and 49 women. The mean age (SD) was 62.96 (8.87) years. Hypertension was seen in 93.3% of the participants, dyslipidemia in 77.3%, obesity in 48%, type 2 diabetes in 34.7%, and 9.3% were smokers. High cardiovascular risk was seen in 22 (29.4%) participants. Twenty-seven participants (36%) had one or more carotid atheroma plaques, and 11 (14.7%) participants had a stenosis plaque. Hypercholesterolemia and high cardiovascular risk were associated with the presence of carotid atheroma plaque. Conclusion: The frequency of carotid atherosclerosis appears to be high in people over 50 years of age with at least one cardiovascular risk factor justifying the importance of control strategies against these factors.