Les maladies cardiovasculaires chez les jeunes patients : place de l'épaisseur intima-média carotidienne au CHU-Ibn Rochd de Casablanca

Abstract

BackgroundThe measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT), long neglected, is a fundamental element in the prediction of cardiovascular events. Vascular Doppler ultrasonography is one of the tools needed to objectify atherosclerosis. ObjectivesThe aim of our study is to establish a correlation between cardiovascular events and intima-media thickness. MethodsWe conducted a prospective, cross-sectional and descriptive study over a period of 6 months in the cardiology department of Chu-Ibn Rochd, based on vascular Doppler ultrasound data, presenting a risk factor and or vascular cardiovascular disease of the supra-aortic trunks using a high frequency linear probe (7.5 MHZ) connected to a GENERAL Electric ultrasound machine. Intima-media thickness was considered normal < 0.8 mm in adult patients aged 40–60 years. ResultsIMT ≥ 0.8 mm was found in 89.2% of patients out of a total of 102 patients recruited, predominantly male (54.9%) with a mean age of 56 ± 9 years. Cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases were associated with an increase in IMT. Diabetics were the most frequent to have an elevated IMT, found at 50.9%, followed by 43.1% of hypertensives, 27.4% respectively between haemodialysis patients and ischemic strokes and 14% in coronary patients with indication of bypass surgery. ConclusionsElevated IMT is associated with cardiovascular events and should be sought as their primary indicator in future large-scale studies so that it can be routinely assessed for a cardiovascular risk factor.