Non-invasive ultrasound methods have been increasingly used for detecting morpho\u00adlogical and functional changes in the arterial wall, indicating the beginning of atherosclerotic process. Early detection of atherosclerosis is of utmost importance for timely deceleration of its further progression. The aim of this study was to determine the association of risk factors for atherosclerosis and intimal thickening (IMT) of the carotid arteries, which is regarded as the ear\u00adliest morphological evidence of atherosclerotic disease. In addition, functional disturbances due to endothelial dysfunction were investigat\u00aded. In four groups of subjects, including cigarette smokers, diabetics, patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease and controls, early morphological and functional changes were studied by ultrasound. Each group comprised 13\u201314 subjects, aged 32 to 56 years. First, IMT was measured at three different sites of the carotid arteries. Next, relaxation disturbances were determined by measuring blood flow in the brachial artery at rest and during reactive hyperemia. In the control group, the mean IMT was 0.65 mm. The group of smokers had sim\u00adilar IMT values as control group. Diabetics showed increased IMT at all three sites (mean IMT = 0.71 mm), the value for the common carotid artery being statistically significant. Patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease showed increased IMT in all three segments (mean IMT = 0.77 mm). The number of athero\u00adsclerotic plaques was seen to increase with the increasing IMT. Statistically significant correla\u00adtions were found between IMT, the body mass index and fibrinogen levels, and especially between IMT and the number of plaques. All groups demonstrated a significant increase in blood flow (by 260%) during hyperemia. The group with peripheral arterial occlusive disease showed a significantly smaller increase in blood flow during reactive hyperemia. IMT measure\u00adment has proved to be a simple, accurate and reproducible method for detecting initial mor\u00adphological changes of\u00a0the arterial wall. The determination of flow alterations seems to be a less sensitive method, giving positive results only in clinically advanced forms of atherosclerosis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Non-invasive ultrasound methods have been increasingly used for detecting morpho\u00adlogical and functional changes in the arterial wall, indicating the beginning of atherosclerotic process. Early detection of atherosclerosis is of utmost importance for timely deceleration of its further progression. The aim of this study was to determine the association of risk factors for atherosclerosis and intimal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[315,407,426],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1-1995-en","category-clinical-research-paper","category-internal-medicine"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n