Prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease

ABSTRACT

Many studies have identified the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and coronary artery diseases. The rationale for testing carotid artery stenosis in patients with coronary artery disease, have several benefits for early detection of asymtomatic carotid stenosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of carotid artery patients with coronary artery disease. The study included 102 patients proved to be ischemic heart disease angiography, underwent carotid duplex. These patients classified into two groups according to carotid duplex result, group A [negative duplex] and group B [positive carotid duplex]. All patients were subjected to the following-Full history taking, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investi-gation, 12 leads surface ECG, echocardiography, coronary angiography and carotid duplex. Age was significantly higher in group B than in group A. No statistically significant difference between both groups as regard EF% and history of myocardial infarction. There was close association between carotid atherosclerosis and multivessel coronary artery disease. Carotid atherosclerosis and degree of stenosis in. left carotid artery was significantly higher than in right one. From this study we concluded that there was a close relationship between coronary and carotid atherosclerosis both sharing more or Less, the same risk factors [smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and left ventricular hypertrophy], the degree of carotid atherosclerosis can be used as non invasive procedure for assessment of patients prepared for coronary angiogram