Carotid Intima Media Thickness in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: Results From a Single Centre, Cross Sectional, Case-Control Study

Abstract

Objective: To describe the parameters of subclinical vascular changes [Carotid Intima Media Thickness (cIMT), Flow Mediated Dilatation (FMD), Ankle Brachial Pressure Index (ABPI)] in patients with systemic sclerosis and compare them with age and sex matched controls.Methods: 50 patients of systemic sclerosis aged 20-50 years were selected and compared with the same no. of age and sex matched controls. Patients with diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking and thyroid disorders were excluded. cIMT, FMD and ABPI were calculated for all participants.