Keywords
Body mass index
Obesity
Doppler ultrasonography
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Carotid artery intima–media thickness (CIMT) measured by B-mode ultrasonography is a well-established surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular risk. Obesity, commonly assessed using body mass index (BMI), has been proposed as an important determinant of CIMT; however, evidence regarding their relationship remains inconsistent, particularly in South Asian populations.
Objective: To determine the correlation between carotid artery intima–media thickness and body mass index among adult patients undergoing carotid Doppler examination at a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar.
Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted in the Radiology Department of Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar, over six months. A total of 111 adults aged 18–65 years were enrolled. BMI was calculated using standard anthropometric measurements. CIMT was assessed bilaterally at the common carotid artery using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Pearson’s correlation coefficient, one-way ANOVA, and independent sample t-tests were applied where appropriate, with a p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The mean CIMT was 0.0770 ± 0.0314 mm on the left and 0.0701 ± 0.0169 mm on the right carotid artery. No statistically significant association was observed between BMI categories and CIMT on either side (p > 0.05). Age demonstrated a significant association with CIMT on both sides, particularly for the right carotid artery (p = 0.001). Gender and comorbidities showed no significant influence on CIMT.
Conclusion: In this study population, carotid intima–media thickness did not show a significant correlation with body mass index. Increasing age emerged as a more important determinant of CIMT, highlighting its role in early atherosclerotic changes independent of BMI.