Influence of Carotid Intima Media Thickness on Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Black Hypertensive Patients. A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Objective: to assess the influence of carotid intima-media thickness in addition to traditional risk factors on cardiovascular risk assessment in hypertensive patients. Methods: 60 hypertensive patients ( 45 years) seen at the outpatient hypertension Clinic were included in the present study. They underwent the followings procedures (i) medical history; physical examination and clinic blood pressure measurement; (ii) routine blood chemistry; (iii) carotid B mode ultrasound. Increased carotid IMT was defined as values 0.9 mm and 1.3 mm. 2007 ESH/ESC guidelines were used to assess cardiovascular risk. Chi square and Student t tests were used as appropriate. P value 0.05 defined the level ofstatistical significance. Results: according to 2007 ESH/ESC guidelines 5 (8); 16 (27); 25 (42) and 14 patients (23) were at low; moderate; high and very high risk; respectively. With the integration of cIMT; 5 (31) and 2 patients (8) initially at moderate and high risk; respectively; shifted from these categories to high and very high risk ones. The net reclassification improvement was 12for all the population. No changes were observed in initially low and very high risk patients. Conclusion: Carotid intima-media thickeness may improve cardiovascular risk stratification; mainly in moderate or intermediate risk hypertensive patients