Increased mean carotid intima media thickness in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with non-blood pressure component metabolic syndrome: A preliminary report

AIMS: Patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus have greater carotid intima media thickness and they are at risk for generalized atherosclerosis. This study aimed to compare the thickness of carotid artery intima media in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients with and without nonblood pressure component metabolic syndrome. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This was a comparative observational study conducted in the Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology in the College of Medicine, Al-Mustansiriyia University in cooperation with Baghdad Teaching Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-six diabetic patients of both sexes with systolic blood pressure < 130 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure < 85 mm Hg were subjected to high resolution B-mode ultrasonography of the common and internal carotid arteries. Patients were grouped into those without metabolic syndrome (Group I) and with nonblood pressure component metabolic syndrome (Group II). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The two-tailed unpaired Student's t-test was used in this study. RESULTS: Significantly high mean thickness was observed in the common carotid intima media (0.824 ± 0.155 mm) but not in the internal carotid arteries in group II patients compared to group I patients (0.708 ± 0.113 mm). Group II also had a significant number of patients with increased lesion intima media thickness (≥ 1.1 mm). CONCLUSION: The greater carotid intima media thickness observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients is related to the metabolic syndrome even in the absence of the blood pressure component.