Influence of metabolic risk factors on the presence of carotid artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of carotid artery disease in type 2 diabetes patients with coronary artery disease, and to establish the influence of metabolic factors on its occurrence. In all, 145 patients (aged 59.85+/-8.43 years, diabetes duration 8.89+/-6.29 years) were randomly selected in a cross-sectional study. Carotid ultrasound was used for evaluation of the presence of carotid plaque (CP) and stenosis (CS). A logistic regression model was constructed to define the influence of risk factors-- arterial hypertension, systolic blood pressure, weight, waist to hip ratio, high blood glucose and plasma lipid levels. Carotid artery disease was present in these patients with a prevalence of 81.9% for CP, 25.2% for unilateral CS and 13.5% for bilateral CS. The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level was an independent predictor for CS (OR 1.936; 95% CI 1.2413.026). Non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (OR 1.374; 95% CI 1.0351.825) and glycaemia (OR 1.214; 95% CI 1.0221.442) were predictors for carotid plaque.