DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i05.029

Pages: 1860-1865

Impaired fasting glucose is an important risk factor for subsequent development of both diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. One of the complications of diabetes is acceleration of atherosclerosis in blood vessels which leads to cerebro- and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery (CCA) is highly reproducible and suitable non-invasive method to monitor early stages of atherosclerosis and it is considered an early surrogate marker of coronary atherosclerosis. Increased cardiovascular risk in individuals with impaired fasting glucose points towards an increased risk of atherosclerosis in these individuals as compared to those with normal glycemic values. The aim of this study is to compare the extent of carotid atherosclerosis as indicated by intima-media thickness of common carotid artery, between individuals with impaired fasting glycemia and normal healthy adults. The present study was a prospective comparative study carried out on 200 subjects, 100 cases with family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and having impaired fasting glucose and 100 normal healthy controls without any family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus with normal fasting blood glucose. Overall, it was observed that obesity, dyslipidemia and systolic hypertension were more prevalent in cases than in healthy controls. The mean carotid intima-media thickness was also significantly higher in cases (0.728±0.089 mm) as compared to controls (0.636±0.068 mm) thus suggesting early and accelerated atherosclerosis in pre-diabetics. This study concluded that pre-diabetic individuals not only have elevated cardiovascular risk factors but also elevated levels of subclinical atherosclerosis, emphasizing the importance of dietary, lifestyle and/or pharmacologic interventions even before the onset of clinical diabetes.