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.