The Study On Endothelium Function and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Elderly Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objective: To investigate the endothelium dysfunction and carotid atherosclerosis and coronary atherosclerosis in elderly patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: The endothelium-dependent relaxing function of blood vessels, intimae - media thickness (IMT)of carotid arteries and the plague in carotid were measured using B - mode ultrasonography in 96 elderly coronary heart disease who had been examined by coronary angiography ,and 20 controls. Carotid plaque score was calculated using Sutton's method to quantify the extent of carotid atherosclerosis. Results: Endotelium dependent vascular diastolic-systolic function was significantly in CHD group versus controls. The carotid intimae - media thickness and plaque index were significantly increased in all diseased groups versus controls(p0.05). Carotid plaque scores were positively correlated with coronary atherosclerosis. Conclusion: The result suggests that the endotheline disjunction and carotid atherosclerosis and coronary atherosclerosis are parallel endothelium dysfunction may play an important role in the pathology of CHD.