[Carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction]

This study investigated carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction. One hundred and two patients with acute myocardial infarction [Group MI: male 86, female 16, mean 62 (range 43-79) years] and 55 normal subjects matched for age and sex with negative responses to exercise electrocardiogram testing (control group: Group C) were included. Patients in Group MI were divided into 3 subgroups according to coronary angiographic findings as follows: 57 patients with one-vessel disease (Group I: mean 59 years), 34 with 2-vessel disease (Group II: mean 64 years), and 11 with 3-vessel disease (Group III: mean 64 years). Intima-media complex thickness (IMT) of the bilateral common carotid arteries (15 mm proximal to the bifurcation) and the internal carotid arteries (15 mm distal to the bifurcation) were measured by high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography, and the sum of maximum IMT of the bilateral carotid arteries (sigma IMT) were calculated. sigma IMT was significantly greater in Group MI (2.5 +/- 0.5 mm) than in Group C (1.8 +/- 0.3 mm), sigma IMT was 2.5 +/- 0.5 in Group I, 2.6 +/- 0.5 in Group II, and 2.7 +/- 0.4 mm in Group III. There was a significant positive correlation between sigma IMT and the number of involved vessels (tau = 0.45, p0.01). The percentage of patients with carotid artery atherosclerosis was 2% in Group C, 63% in Group MI, 54% in Group I, 68% in Group II, and 82% in Group III (p0.001). This study suggests that carotid artery atherosclerosis in patients with myocardial infarction is frequently complicated and severe, and more frequently complicated in patients with severe coronary artery disease.