Carotid ultrasonography in elderly hypertension patients combined with diabetes

Objectives To investigate the ultrasonographic characteristics of carotid artherosclerosis in elderly hypertension patients combined with diabetes.Methods Eighty patients were divided into three groups:essential hypertension group(EH,n=29),essential hypertension combined with diabetes group(EH+DM,n=21),and normotensive group(control,n=30).All the subjects were examined with Doppler ultrasonography for carotid and blood test of glucose,concentration of serum insulin,and c-reaction protein.The intima-media thickness(IMT)and plaque of carotid arteries were measured on ultrasonography and Crouse score was calculated.Results The IMT both in common carotid and bifurcation carotid arteries,and carotid Crouse score were higher in patients with hypertension than those in the control group,and these parameters in DM combined with EH group were much higher than those in EH group(P0.01).The carotid Crouse score was positively correlated with insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR),body mass index(BMI)and fasting blood glucose.Conclusion Carotid ultrasonography reveals the extent of artery artherosclerosis in elderly hypertension patients combined with diabetes.Hypertension combined with diabetes may accelerate the process of artherosclerosis.