Background and Purpose: The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) is the ratio of blood pressure in the lower legs to that in the arms. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of extracranial carotid arteries determined by B-mode ultrasound is a measurable index of the presence of atherosclerosis. A low ABI and a high carotid IMT are independently related to increased risk of cardiovascular events. This study examined the association between carotid IMT and ABI in patients with ischemic stroke. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, 116 hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke were recruited. Using a pulse wave velocity ABI device along with carotid duplex sonography, we measured carotid IMT and ABI and investigated the correlation between average values. Results: There was a significant difference in carotid IMT between the normal and abnormal ABI groups (P=0.0262). The group with an abnormal ABI was more than five times as likely to have increased carotid IMT as the group with a normal ABI (age, sex-adjusted OR 5.67 (95% CI 1.85~17.38)). The ABI and carotid IMT showed a weak inverse linear correlation in patients with ischemic stroke (correlation coefficient −0.378 after adjusting for age and sex). Conclusion: Our study suggests that an abnormal ABI is associated with a high carotid IMT in patients with ischemic stroke.

This study aimed to investigate the association between carotid artery calcification (CAC) on panoramic radiograph and intima-media thickeness (IMT) measured on ultrasound. Panoramic radiographs which were taken from dental patients aged 50 years and older who visited for dental treatment were screened for the presence of CAC. The study group was composed of seven patients (four males and three females, average age 74.4±4.2 yrs) with CAC detected on panoramic radiographs, and the control group eleven patients (seven males and four females, average age 64.5±10.1 yrs) without CAC. All the patients underwent carotid ultrasonography to measure carotid IMT. The IMT was compared between the groups by nonparametric analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The range of IMT of the study group was 1.10~2.0 mm, while that of the control group 0.60~1.10 mm. The mean of IMT was 1.50±0.34 mm in the study group and 0.85±0.14 mm in the control group, and there was statistically significant difference between the two groups (p<.01). In conclusion, CAC detected on panoramic radiograph might have an association with atherosclerosis

본 연구는 건강검진을 목적으로 내원하여 경동맥초음파를 실시한 113명을 대상으로 하였다. 경동맥의 내중막 두께는 심혈관 질환 및 뇌혈관 질환과 유의한 상관관계를 보이는 것으로 알려져 있다. 임상에서 선별 검사로 많이 이용되고 있는 경동맥 초음파를 이용하여 경동맥 내중막 두께와 체질량지수, 허리둘레, 혈청 지질수치, 공복 혈당, 당화혈색소, 혈압등이 갖는 연관 관계에 대하여 알아보고자 하였다. 경동맥초음파상 IMT두께가 0.8 mm 이상을 비정상으로 간주하고 죽상경화증(atherosclerosis)의 유무를 평가하였으며, 혈청검사를 통하여 지질학적 수치 및 공복혈당수치, 당화혈색소를 분류하여 상관관계를 알아보았다. 그 결과 허리둘레(p=.022), 저밀도 콜레스테롤(p=.004), 공복혈당수치(p=.019), 당화혈색소 수치(p=.002)가 죽상경화증(at herosclerosis을 일으키는 예측인자로 분석되었다. ROC 곡선 분석에서 허리둘레에서 민감도 87.80%(95% CI : 73.8-95.9), 특이도 41.67%(95% CI : 30.2-53.9), 저밀도 콜레스테롤에서 민감도 78.05%(95% CI : 62.4-89.4), 특이도 50.00%(95% CI : 38.0-62.0 공복혈당에서 민감도 73.11%(95% CI : 57.1-85.8), 특이도 61.11 (95% CI : 48.9-72.4)), 당화혈색소에서 민감도 82.93%(67.9-91.8), 특이도 43.06%(31.4-55.3)를 나타내었다. 로지스틱 회귀분석에서 죽상경화증(atherosclerosis) 발생위험성은 허리둘레(WC)>76 cm에서 0.248배, 저밀도 콜레스테 롤(LDL-C)≥124 mg/dL에서 3.475배, 당화혈색소(HbA1C)>5.4%에서 0.618배로 나타났다. 향후 심뇌혈관질환의 효과적인 일차예방 역할을 위해 다수의 대상자를 대상으로 혈액검사수치를 고려하여 혈관의 추적관찰이 용이한 경동맥초음파를 통한 전향적연구가 필요할 것으로 사료 된다.