Relationship between carotid intima-media thickness and carotid artery stiffness assessed by ultrafast ultrasound imaging in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the relationship between carotid stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Materials and methods Carotid properties were evaluated in 317 consecutive subjects (98 volunteers for controls, 105 patients with normal CIMT for T2DM group 1, and 114 patients with thickened CIMT for T2DM group 2). The CIMT and carotid pulse wave velocity at the beginning (PWV-BS) and at the end of systole (PWV-ES) were measured. Results Apart from PWV-BS in T2DM group 1, CIMT and PWV-ES were significant higher in patients groups than those of in controls. In multiple regression analysis, diabetes was independently associated with PWV-ES and not with PWV-BS. Moreover, when adjusting for baseline covariates, only PWV-ES (odds ratio = 4.27, P P  =  0.091). Additionally, the slope (β) after adjustment for the PWV-ES to log(CIMT) was significantly steeper in T2DM group 1 than that of in controls (β= 8.35 vs. 3.31, P Conclusions The PWV-ES seem to be a better biomarker candidate than PWV-BS to assess the carotid stiffness in diabetic patients. Compared with controls, diabetic patients showed more advanced functional changes than morphological changes despite normal CIMT, whereas the relationship trend was not present when thickened CIMT emerged.