Characteristics of the carotid plaque in hypertensive patients with hyperhomocysteinemia using multimode ultrasound

Background: Ischemic stroke is related to the level of total homocysteine and the sta-bility of carotid atherosclerotic plaque. In this study, the characteristics of carotid plaque in hypertensive patients with hyperhomocysteinemia were preliminarily studied by conventional ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and virtual touch image quantification. Methods: Hypertensive patients (n=196) hospitalised in the Department of Neurology and Cardiology of our hospital from April 2016 to February 2019 were studied to compare and analyse differences in general clinical data, conventional ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and virtual touch image quantification between hypertension with hyperhomocysteinemia and hypertension with normal tHcy. Results: 1. There was no statistical difference in other clinical data, except fasting blood sugar (P=0.021) and the history of cerebral infarction (P=0.0001). 2. There were significant differences in plaque thickness, ste-nosis degree, contrast-enhanced ultrasound level, The maximum shear wave veloc-ity (SWVmax) , the minimum shear wave velocity (SWVmin) and the mean shear wave velocity (SWVmean) (P<0.05), except intima-media thickness between the two groups (t=0.160, P=0.873). 3. Blood tHcy level in hypertensive patients with hyperhomocysteinemia was positively correlated with carotid plaque thickness, ste-nosis degree and contrast-enhanced ultrasound level (r=0.349, 0.647, 0.421), but negatively correlated with SWVmax, SWVmin and SWVmean (r=-0.348,-0.409,-0.393). Conclusions: Ultrasonography can reflect the vulnerability of hypertensive patients with hyperhomocysteinemia, providing reliable and comprehensive infor-mation for the prevention and treatment of stroke in hypertensive patients with hyperhomocysteinemia.