Morphological and Hemodynamic Features of the Carotid Artery on Color Doppler Ultrasound in Hypertensive Patients

Objective: 1. Described the characteristics and morphology of the carotid artery on color Doppler ultrasonography in patients with hypertensive. 2. Determine the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) on color Doppler ultrasound images and some clinical and laboratory parameters and some risk factors in hypertensive patients. Subjects and methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study on 64 hospitalized hypertensive patients. Results: 62.5% are female. Mean age 66.41±11.91. The right common cIMT 0.74 (0.7-0.81) mm; the left was 0.8 (0.7-0.8) mm; the average cIMT on both sides was 0.75 (0.75-0.79) mm. Mean peak systolic velocity of the right common carotid artery 58.03±14.74 cm/s; left side 60.71±15.73 cm/s. Right common carotid end-diastolic velocity 14.68±4.88 cm/s; left side 16.09±6.04 cm/s. Right common carotid resistance index 0.75±0.063; left side 0.74±0.067. There were 25 (39.1%) cases of right common carotid atherosclerotic plaque with the thickest 2.500.71mm and 33 (51.6%) cases of left common carotid plaque with the thickest 2.3 (1.99-2)mm. There were an independent correlation between age and sex with the cIMT on both sides with correlation coefficients of R=0.514, p=0.013; R=0.514, p < 0.0001, respectively. Conclusion: There were a correlation between the common cIMT with age and sex, every 1 year increase will increase the thickness of the common cIMT by 0.005 mm. cIMT was higher than in men.