Carotid artery diameter in men and women and the relation to body and neck size.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To explore relationships among gender, body size, neck size, and the diameters of the common carotid artery (CCA) and internal carotid artery (ICA). METHODS Using multivariate regression, the best predictors of sonographic diameters of CCA and ICA were determined based on age, height, weight, body mass index, body surface area, neck circumference, neck length, and blood pressure. RESULTS Measurements were obtained in 500 consecutive patients (age 52+/-15 years; 61% women). Mean diameters of ICA (4.66+/-0.78 mm) and CCA (6.10+/-0.80 mm) in women were significantly smaller than in men: 5.11+/-0.87 mm and 6.52+/-0.98 mm, respectively. Sex significantly influenced the diameters after controlling for body size, neck size, age, and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS Carotid arteries are smaller in women even after adjusting for body and neck size, age, and blood pressure.