Carotid intima-media thickness among normoglycemia and normotension first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Theoretically, first-degree relatives (FDRs) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are predisposed to have earlier and more severe atherosclerosis than non-FDR due to hereditary insulin resistance. A previous study reported that atherosclerotic plaques were found in 45.2% of young adults FDR of T2DM, but the study did not include non-FDR as control group. The aim of this study was to compare subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness, CIMT) between FDR of T2DM and non-FDR. This was a cross-sectional study involving 16 FDR subjects and 16 age-sex matched non-FDR subjects, aged 19-40 years, with normal glucose tolerance and no hypertension. Collected data included demographic characteristic, anthropometric measurement (BMI and waist circumference), laboratory analysis (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile), and CIMT examination (using B-mode ultrasound). The mean of CIMT in the FDR group was higher than that in the non-FDR group (0.44 mm vs 0.38 mm, =0.005). After adjusting for waist circumference, BMI, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride, CIMT maintained significant difference between FDR and non-FDR subjects. BMI and waist circumference showed moderate correlation with CIMT. CIMT in young adult FDR of T2DM is thicker than that in age-and sex-matched non-FDR population.