Carotid atherosclerosis: Socio-demographic issues, the hidden dimensions

Abstract

The effect of conventional vascular risk factors on carotid atherosclerosis had been reported in many studies. Little is known about social and demographic issues on the development of carotid artery disease among different populations. The aim of our study is to demonstrate the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis among Egyptians and its difference in relations to other studies from industrialized countries. We analyzed the data of 4733 Egyptian subjects who underwent extracranial carotid duplex scanning at the vascular laboratories of the largest tertiary referral hospital in Cairo from January 2003 to January 2008. Demographic and clinical data were correlated with ultrasound findings. Atherosclerotic carotid artery disease was present in 41% of the study population, significant and high grade disease detected in 2.5% of the study populations. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis selected age, hypertension and diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia as independent predictors of the presence of carotid atherosclerotic disease. Hemodynamically significant extracranial atherosclerotic carotid disease is rare in Egyptians. Risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis are the same as in societies where carotid disease is more prevalent.