Keywords
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective:
To determine the frequency of silent carotid artery stenosis (CAS) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to assess its association with demographic and clinical factors.
Study Design and Setting:
Cross-sectional study conducted at the Department of General Medicine, Mardan Medical Complex, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Methodology:
A total of 187 patients aged 27–70 years with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling over six months. All participants underwent bilateral carotid Doppler ultrasonography. Silent CAS was defined as ≥50% stenosis without neurological symptoms. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, and associations were assessed using the Chi-square test, with p <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results:
The mean age of participants was 51.7 ± 8.3 years, with 53.5% males. Hypertension and smoking were present in 57.8% and 21.9% of patients, respectively. The overall frequency of silent CAS was 15.0%. Right-sided stenosis was observed in 8.0%, left-sided in 1.6%, and bilateral stenosis in 5.3% of patients. No significant association was found between silent CAS and age, gender, BMI, duration of diabetes, hypertension, smoking, socioeconomic status, education, or occupation (p >0.05). A significant association was observed with place of residence, with higher prevalence among urban residents (19.6% vs. 8.0%, p = 0.029).
Conclusion:
Silent carotid artery stenosis is present in a notable proportion of asymptomatic diabetic patients. Urban residence was significantly associated with CAS. Targeted screening may help in early detection and prevention of cerebrovascular complications.