Related factors for carotid artery atherosclerosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes

Objective To explore the relationship between the incidence of carotid arterial diseases and related factors in elderly diabetes patients. Methods Two hundred sixty elderly diabetic patients were included in diabetes group and 206 elderly healthy volunteers were included in control group. The age, gender, diabetic duration, fasting plasma glucose(FPG), postprandial glucose(PPG), glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c), total cholesterol(TC), total triglyceride(TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL–C), low–density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL–C), very low–density lipoprotein (VLDL), apolipoprotein A1(ApoA1), apolipoprotein B(ApoB), blood pressure (BP), body mass index(BMI), C–reactive protein(CRP) of the two groups were measured. All patients were examined by color Doppler ultrasonography. The relationship between the incidence of carotid arterial diseases and related factors was analyzed by Logistic regressive model. Results (1) The intima–media thickness(IMT) became thickened in 241 cases (92.6%) in diabetes group and 43 cases (20.8%) in control group. The difference between two groups was statistically significant(χ2=249.06, P<0.01). The prevalence rates of carotid plaque were 81.3% (212 cases) in diabetes group and 20.3% in control group (42 cases)(χ2=173.32, P<0.01). The incidences of carotid arteries stenosis were 34.2% (89 cases) in diabetes group and 0.01% (3 cases)in control group(χ2=77.92, P<0.01). (2) The levels of FPG, PPG, TC, TG, LDL–C, ApoB and CRP were significantly higher in diabetes group than those in control group (t=16.99, 15.82, 15.92, 6.43, 10.84, 3.69, 17.09; all P<0.05), but the levels of HDL–C and ApoA were significantly lower in diabetes group than those in control group (t=4.54, 37.74; both P<0.05). Compared with diabetes patients without carotid arterial diseases, the levels of HbA1c, TG, LDL–C and ApoB were increased in diabetes patients with carotid artery lesion (t=3.02, 3.26, 3.79, 9.06, 2.50; all P<0.01). (3) Logistic regression showed that age, gender, diabetic duration, LDL–C, HDL–C, TG, SBP and CRP were the independent risk factors for carotid arterial diseases in elderly diabetes patients(OR=1.063, 1.925, 1.081, 1.039, 0.138, 1.865, 5.145, 5.663; all P<0.05). Conclusions Carotid arterial diseases in elderly type 2 diabetes patients are resulted from many factors.Earlier intervention and controlling these factors will have clinic significance for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Key words: Carotid arterials; Atherosclerosis; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Type 2 diabetes; Risk factors