Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review 0 1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60787/sjhrs.vol1no1.14Keywords:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, carotid intima-media thickness, B-mode ultrasonographyAbstract
Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global health challenge and a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality owing to accelerated atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), measured using B-mode ultrasonography, has emerged as a reliable, non-invasive marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and an important predictor of future cardiovascular events.
Aim: This narrative review critically evaluates current evidence on the role of B-mode ultrasonography in assessing CIMT among patients with T2DM, with emphasis on its pathophysiological basis, determinants, clinical applications, and future research directions.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library for studies published between January 2000 and June 2026. Evidence from systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and clinical guidelines was synthesized narratively.
Results: The reviewed evidence consistently demonstrates that patients with T2DM have significantly greater CIMT than non-diabetic individuals, reflecting accelerated vascular ageing and early subclinical atherosclerosis. Increased CIMT is influenced by advancing age, longer diabetes duration, poor glycaemic control, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, renal dysfunction, and adverse lifestyle factors. Among antidiabetic therapies, metformin has the most consistent evidence of vascular protection, while sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) show promising additional benefits in slowing CIMT progression.
Conclusion: Although further standardized multicentre longitudinal studies are required to strengthen its routine clinical application, CIMT assessment represents an important tool for the early detection of vascular injury and monitoring of cardiovascular risk in patients with T2DM.
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