The prevalence of extracranial carotid atherosclerosis detected via ultrasound imaging: A single-centre study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

To assess the prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data on patients who underwent carotid ultrasound examinations between 2017-2021 were collected retrospectively from the archive of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Patient characteristics, blood lipid profiles, and plaque features were extracted from the medical records and ultrasound images. Descriptive data were presented as percentages. In total, 1334 patients were reviewed. Of these, 13.5% had carotid plaques and were included in the analysis. The mean patient age was 69.8±10.4 years, and 76.1% were men. The prevalence of hypertension was 62.7% and the prevalence of diabetes was 50%, and 7.2% of patients were smokers. Regarding blood lipid profiles, 6.5% of patients had high total cholesterol, 15.1% had high triglyceride levels, and 10.7% had high low-density lipoprotein levels. The median (interquartile range) stenosis was 34.4 (17.2) %, while the median plaque length was 5 (6) mm and thickness was 3 (1) mm. The median carotid intima-media thickness was 1 (0.3) mm. Regarding plaque distribution, 62.7% of plaques were in the carotid bulb. Additionally, 28.3% was in the internal carotid artery, 6.1% was in the common carotid artery, and 2.7% was in the external carotid artery. The prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis among patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was low. A high prevalence of hypertension and diabetes (≥50%) was observed among the patients. Multicenter studies involving larger Saudi samples are warranted to explore carotid atherosclerosis risk factors.