Intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery was recommended as a useful parameter to assess the presence of coronary artery disease in a recent publication of the American Heart Association 1. Most of the articles cited as references 2-8, however, are prognostic studies. They refer to the capacity of a thicker intima-media layer of the (common and internal) carotid artery to predict the occurrence of coronary events, such as infarction or cardiac death, in a mean period of 2-4 years. Only the study by Leary et al 2, assessing the intimal and media layers of elderly patients, reported a positive association between a thicker intima-media layer of the common carotid artery and the presence of coronary artery disease. In the medical literature, several studies 9-12 about the association of the intima-media layer and the presence of coronary artery disease use not only the common carotid artery to measure the intima-media layer, but also the carotid bulb and the internal carotid artery. Adams et al 12 specifically assessed the intima-media layer of the common carotid artery and reported a weak association with the presence of coronary artery disease. On the other hand, Burke et al 4 reported the occurrence of a positive association between a thicker intima-media layer and the presence of coronary artery disease; the diagnosis of the presence or absence of the disease, however, was obtained only with the clinical history.
This study aimed at assessing the association of a thicker intima-media layer of the common carotid artery with the presence of coronary artery disease.