Identification of asymptomatic carotid plaques in high-risk middle-aged adults at a tertiary care center in Lahore

<p><strong>Background and Objective: </strong></p> <p>There are no comprehensive regional data for Pakistan regarding the frequency of carotid plaques and associated risk factors. Early detection of atherosclerotic plaques by noninvasive screening methods can help reduce the disease burden.  As asymptomatic plaques are also one of the major causes of stroke in middle-aged individuals, the present study aimed to identify the frequency and clinical presentation of asymptomatic carotid plaques in high-risk middle-aged patients in local population.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong></p> <p>This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Radiology, Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 366 subjects aged 45-81 years old were screened for any atherosclerotic plaques at the bilateral extra cranial carotid artery tree by consultant radiologists through Doppler Ultrasound (DUS). Multi variable logistic regression was applied to determine the variables having an independent association with the development of carotid plaques.</p> <p> <strong>Results:</strong></p> <p>Carotid artery plaques were diagnosed in 156 (42.62%) patients. Age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus showed an independent association with carotid plaques (p-value < 0.001). Present history of smoking was not associated with carotid plaques (P-value > 0.005).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p> <p>The diagnostic accuracy of DUS is high for the detection of sub-clinical and clinical carotid plaques. The identification of asymptomatic carotid plaques in high-risk individuals with diabetes and hypertension can save much from debilitating cardiovascular diseases. </p>