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| LETTER TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 2 | Page : 151 |
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Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in primary hypertensive patients using B-mode ultrasound: Cross-sectional study
Mahmood Dhahir Al-Mendalawi
Department of Paediatrics, Al-Kindy College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq
| Date of Submission | 01-Mar-2021 |
| Date of Decision | 25-May-2021 |
| Date of Acceptance | 26-Aug-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 30-Dec-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Mahmood Dhahir Al-Mendalawi
P.O. Box 55302, Baghdad Post Office, Baghdad
Iraq
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jcrsm.jcrsm_1_21
How to cite this article:
Al-Mendalawi MD. Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in primary hypertensive patients using B-mode ultrasound: Cross-sectional study. J Curr Res Sci Med 2021;7:151 |
How to cite this URL:
Al-Mendalawi MD. Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in primary hypertensive patients using B-mode ultrasound: Cross-sectional study. J Curr Res Sci Med [serial online] 2021 [cited 2022 Jan 19];7:151. Available from: https://www.jcrsmed.org/text.asp?2021/7/2/151/334446 |
Sir,
I read with interest the case–control study by Mustafa et al.[1] published in the July–December 2020 issue of the Journal of Current Research in Scientific Medicine. On using the B-mode ultrasound, the authors explored the correlation between hypertension (HTN) and elevation of the intima-media thickness (IMT) of both the right and left common carotid arteries (CCAs) among a cohort of Sudanese patients with HTN. They found that the IMT in the CCAs was higher in the hypertensive patients than in the controls (P < 0.001). Moreover, IMT of the right and left CCAs significantly increased with the increment in the duration of HTN (P = 0.023 and 0.031, respectively).[1] The authors addressed the following study limitations: inadequate sample size; unavailability of certain demographic data such as body mass index; and the lack of related laboratory tests such as cholesterol, low-density protein, and high-density lipoprotein levels in the case group.[1] I assume that the following methodological limitation might be also relevant. It is worthy to mention that to accurately assess IMT for a particular population, there is a need to refer to the reference intervals (RIs) of IMT for that population. Indeed, there are certain determinants of RI of IMT such as gender, age, smoking, body mass index, cholesterol, blood pressure, and genetic factors.[2] Accordingly, various population-specific RIs of IMT have been constructed to be used in the clinical settings and researches centers.[3],[4] Interestingly, Sudan is among pioneer countries that have already formulated their own RI of IMT.[5] Regrettably, it was not explicit whether Mustafa et al.[1] employed Sudanese or foreign RI of IMT in the study methodology. Hence, such methodological limitation might add further suspicions on the study results.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
| References | |  |
| 1. | Mustafa R, Gameraddin M, Gareeballah A. Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness in primary hypertensive patients using B-mode ultrasound: Cross-sectional study. J Curr Res Sci Med 2020;6:84-8.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Zannad F, Sass C, Visvikis S. Environmental and genetic determinants of intima-media thickness of the carotid artery. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2001;28:1007-10. |
| 3. | Grau M, Subirana I, Agis D, Ramos R, Basagaña X, Martí R, et al. Carotid intima-media thickness in the Spanish population: Reference ranges and association with cardiovascular risk factors. Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) 2012;65:1086-93. |
| 4. | Mirza W, Arain MA, Ali A, Bari V, Ali MK, Fatima K. Carotid intima media thickness percentiles for Pakistani population. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2017;27:584-6. |
| 5. | Mahmoud MZ. Sonography of common carotid arteries' intima: Media thickness in the normal adult population in Sudan. N Am J Med Sci 2013;5:88-94. |
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