Ultrasound detection for carotid atherosclerosclerosis and brachial artery flow mediated vasodilation in patients with coronary heart disease

Objective To investigate the carotid atherosclerosis(the intima-media thickness on carotid artery and plaques)and the brachial artery flow-mediated dilation(FMD)in patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)and evaluate the relation between CHD and carotid atherosclerosis.Methods Intima-media thickness(IMT)and plaques in the carotid arteries were assessed with high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography and the brachial artery FMD were measured in 86 patients with coronary heart disease and 46 healthy control subjects.Results The intima-media thickness of coronary heart disease group was significantly thicker than that of the control group [(0.87±0.16)mm vs(0.72±0.13)mm,P0.01].The prevanlence rates of plaques were 77.9% and 17.4%,Carotid atherosclerosis was more prevalent in CHD patients as compared with control.The mIMTc of multivessel group was significantly thicker than that of single vessel group[(0.99±0.17)mm vs(0.85±0.15)mm,P0.01] and significant differences of carotid plaque score were found between the single vessel group and the multivessel subjects [(1.60±1.27 vs 2.68 ±1.82),P0.05].An mIMTc≥0.85mm could predict the presence of coronary heart disease with a specifity of 75%,a sensitivity of 72.3%.The FMD in CHD patients was significantly impaired when compared with those in control group [(6.21±1.92)% vs(9.04±3.03)%,P0.01].FMD was inversely correlated with mIMTc in 132 subjects(r=-0.497,P0.01),but there was no significant correlation between FMD and mIMTc in the patients with coronary heart disease(r=-0.163,P0.05).Conclutions The CHD patients often accompanied with carotid and vasodilation dysfunction.There are close relationship between carotid and coronary artery atherosclerosis.Carotid ultrasound examination could help to predict the presence of coronary artery disease.