Background: Measurement of the intima-media thickness (IMT) in the peripheral arteries leads to better stratification of cardiovascular risk. This is of great importance in patients with chronic renal insufficiency, who are particularly vulnerable to developing atherosclerotic lesions. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether parameters of renal insufficiency and selected risk factors of atherosclerosis influence IMT in the peripheral arteries.
Methods: The study population comprised 231 patients submitted to coronary angiography with ultrasonographic assessment of the common carotid artery (CCA), carotid artery bulb (CB) and common femoral artery (CFA) made contemporaneously with evaluation of IMT and atherosclerotic plaques. Renal function as well as selected clinical and biochemical risk factors of atherosclerosis were assessed. Two subgroups were analysed: 200 patients with coronary heart disease confirmed angiographically (study group) and 31 patients without coronary lesions (control group).
Results: Significant negative correlation was found between glomerular filtration rate and IMT values in CCA (p < 0.001) as well as in CB (p < 0.05). Patients with abnormal glucose metabolism had significantly higher IMT values in CCA (0.95 ± 0.30 vs. 0.87 ± 0.20; p = 0.034). Hypercholesterolaemia did not influence the IMT values in CCA and CFA. There was no correlation between body mass index and IMT.
Conclusions: Patients with chronic renal insufficiency presented higher values of IMT in CCA. The measurement of IMT appears to be a valuable non-invasive method of diagnosing preclinical stages of atherosclerosis in the described group of patients. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 59–66)