| Purpose The development of the high-resolution B-mode ultrasound technique has provided a noninvasive way for the study of early changes of atherosclerosis by the measurement of intima media thickness (IMT) in the carotid artery and the femoral artery. Some studies have showed an increased IMT is associated with many cardiovascular risk factors, coronary artery calcification as well as clinical cardiovascular events. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the progress of IMT can be slowed and/or regressed by the invention of risk factors in some clinical trials. It is debatable whether the increased IMT is a surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis. Some studies regarding the association between ultrasound variables and coronary artery disease have also been published. These studies showed a varying degree of correlation between the common carotid IMT and coronary atherosclerosis. None of these studies have, however, compared coronary atherosclerosis with IMT measurements of the carotid bulb, a segment of the carotid vessel that may be more like the coronary arteries in terms of homodynamic properties and anatomy. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between coronary atherosclerosis as measured by coronary angiophraphy and carotid atherosclerosis as measured by B-mode ultrasound in two different arterial regions.Methods 141 patients who were hospitalized for the chest pain from August 2001 through June 2002 were performed by coronary angiography. The patients were divided into two groups according to the results of coronary angiography The patients of CAD group were 106, male, 80, female, 26, mean age 62.42 +10.93 years. The control group consists of 35 patients, male,18,female,17,mean age 57.51 +9.67 years. CAD was diagnosed if the diameter stenosis>50% was found in at least one coronary segment by coronary angiography. The carotid arteries were evaluated with a high-resolution ultrasound (HP sonos 5500) equipped with color Doppler system with a linear array probe with 7.5 MHz. Patients were examined in the supine position, withthe neck in slight hyperextension, each scan of the carotid artery begun just above the clavicle, and the probe was moved cephalad. The image was focused on the far wall in four segments, including the distal common carotid artery and carotid bulb of the right and left carotid arteries. Each segment was scanned 1-2 cm. When an optimal visualization was identified, the image was restored on a VHS videotape recorder at the same time. On a longitudinal two-dimensional ultrasound image of the carotid artery, IMT was measured in the far wall of the carotid artery system. Three points from proximal, mid, and distal common carotid arteries and carotid bulb were measured. The mean and maximal values of IMT were obtained from a total of six IMT measurements in each patient, which was recorded as IMTCCAmean, IMTBulbmean, IMTCCAmax and IMTBulbmax, respectively. Basis on the ACC/AHA coronary angiography guides, coronary angiography was acted as Judkin's way in many projections. The coronary circulation is divided into 15 segments. Two experienced cardiologists assessed the atherosclerosis of each coronary artery segment on base of Fujiwara' way. The severity of atherosclerosis was assessed by grading the stenosis lesions as follows: score 0=stenosis <25%; l=stenosis 26-49%; 2=stenosis 50%-74%; 3=75%-99%; 4=total occlusion. The scores of each branch of the coronary artery were added together as the severity of coronary artery atherosclerosis. The CAD group was divided into single-vessel group and multiple-vessel group in term of the numbers of the coronary artery with lesion.Results No significant difference in heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, ApoA1 and ApoB were found among CAD group and control group, but age, systolic blood pressures , body mass index and TG is greater in the CAD group than the control group (p<0.05). On contrast, HDL-C is less in the CAD group than the control group (P=0.02). The proportion of male and hypertension were hig...
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