Correlation in Severity of Coronary and Carotid Arteries Atherosclerosis in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease nd Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: To assess correlation between atherosclerotic changes in coronary and carotid arteries in patients with ischemic heart disease by presence or absence of type 2 diabetes.
Materials and methods: There were 401 patients with ischemic heart disease included in this study. The participants were divided into two groups: the first group had 275 patients without type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and the second consisted of 126 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients in both groups have undergone standard investigation procedures including coronary angiography, Doppler ultrasonography of the carotid arteries and analysis of lipid panel. The data were analyzed to assess the differences between those two groups by lipid profile and degree of stenosis of coronary and carotid arteries, as well as correlation between stenosis of coronary and carotid arteries.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between study participants in means of lipid measures (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL). The results of our study however demonstrate statistically significant (p<0.05) difference in degree of stenosis of the right internal carotid artery among patients without DM - 35.4±15.9% compared to those with DM - 39.6±15.9%. Within only patients with ischemic heart disease but without DM, we were able to identify a statistically significant (p<0.05) but weak inverse correlation between right coronary artery stenosis (79.2±21.7%) and right common carotid artery (29.4±10.7%) r = -0,25. Conversely, the data of patients with DM demonstrate positive correlation between stenosis of right coronary artery (77.4±22.9%) and left common carotid artery (30.3±9.8%), r = 0,31; positive moderate correlation betweencircumflex artery (76.4±21.8%) and left common carotid artery (30.3±9.8%), r =0,35, (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrate statistically significant correlations between atherosclerosis of coronary and carotid arteries only among patients with ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Notably, we report positive correlation between right coronary artery and left common carotid artery as well as circumflex artery and left common carotid artery.