The Association between Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and the Duration of Type 1 Diabetes in Children

Objective: Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) has been known as a criterion of generalized atherosclerosis and a marker of cardiovascular disease progression in many studies which can be measured by ultrasound using high-resolution device.Methods: This is a case-control study. A total of 40 children (16 males and 24 females) with type1 diabetes mellitus and control group consisting of equal numbers (17 males and 23 females) who were otherwise healthy were included in the study from May 2007 to January 2008. The two groups were age matched, with the mean age of 10.56±3.21 years in control group and 10.67±4.18 years in diabetic patients.  Left and right cIMT were measured by ultrasound.Findings: There was a significant difference between case and control subjects in terms of mean cIMT (P<0.001). cIMT was significantly higher in the diabetic group. Among variables including age, BMI and diabetes, diabetes was the only influential parameter in this respect. The mean time length of type 1 diabetes in our diabetic group was reported 4.24±3.02 years, with a minimum of four months and a maximum of ten years. There was a statistically significant difference between the two diabetic patients with below and above four years of disease duration (P=0.03 for right carotid artery and P=0.01 for left carotid artery).Conclusion: cIMT has been identified as an early indicator of atherosclerosis in many studies. It increases in patients with type 1 diabetes as the disease progresses and this can be followed by macro and microvascular atherosclerotic changes.