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Abstract

Background: Carotid artery disease is common in patients with hypertension, leading to thickened intima-media layers and narrowed arteries, increasing the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction.
Objective: This study compared Color Doppler findings in hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients, focusing on intima-media thickness (IMT) and Doppler indices.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 patients at the University of Lahore, including 72 hypertensive and 48 non-hypertensive individuals. Doppler ultrasonography was performed using a Toshiba XARIO XG machine with a 5-7.5 MHz linear probe. Data on age, hypertension, diabetes status, gender, and IMT were collected. Doppler indices including Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), and Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV) were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. An independent t-test compared Doppler indices between groups, with p < 0.05 considered significant.
Results: IMT was significantly higher in hypertensive patients (0.63 ± 0.16 mm right, 0.62 ± 0.14 mm left) compared to non-hypertensive patients (0.56 ± 0.14 mm right, 0.57 ± 0.14 mm left) with p-values of 0.013 and 0.048, respectively. No significant differences were found in other Doppler indices.
Conclusion: Hypertension is linked to increased carotid IMT, indicating a higher risk for plaque formation. Doppler ultrasound can help in early detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases.