Association of the thickness of carotid intima-media complex and ancle brachial index with coronary disease severity

Our aim was to establish the association of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and ankle-brachial index(ABI) with the severity of coronary artery dissease (CAD). The study enrolled 150 examinees and divided them into two groups. The patients with stenotic changes in the coronary artery, constituted the first group (CP)(n=100); the second group consisted of the examinees without CAD - control goup (CG) (n=50). The following methods were used in the study: Color Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries, ABI, calculation of SCORE risk and coronary angiography. The number of coronary blood vessels affected by atherosclerosis was significantly higher with the increase of CIMT, CV risk score, and waist-hip ratio by one measurement unit: CIMT by 0.729; p < 0.05; CV risk score by 0.033; p < 0.05; and waist-hip ratio by 3.182; p < 0.01. With each increase of ABI value by one measurement unit, the number of involved blood vessels dropped by 0.844; p < 0.05. Our results demonstrated that reduced ABI value, increased CIMT and number of plaques in the carotid arteries were in correlation with the severity of coronary artery disease.