Resumo

HERNANDEZ PINO, Yadira; GONZALEZ ESCUDERO, Hilda; PACHECO GRANJA, Griselda  e  RIVERO VARONA, Martha M.. Carotid extracranial asymptomatic injury and its association with silent ischemic heart disease. Rev cubana med [online]. 2006, vol.45, n.3. ISSN 0034-7523.

71 patients of both sexes aged 60-75 who were diagnosed extracranial carotid damage, but were asymptomatic from the neurological and cardiovascualr point of view, were studied. All of them underwent high resolution color carotid echodoppler and were divided into categories, according to the vascular damage: 30 with intima media thickness >1,1 mm and 41 con stenosis, in addition to a control group of 30 subjects with vascular risk factor without carotid injury. EKG and an ergometric test were performed in all the individuals to define the diagnosis of silent ischemic heart disease. This diagnostic tool was modified for the elderly. Recommendations of conditioning and preventive measures were included for any complication.The variables were codified in a computerized database, and contingency (doble entry) tables were made. Chi square test was used for the qualitative variables to evaluate the association between the variables of interest, whereas the t Students' test was applied to the quantitative variables.The results were considered significant when the probability of association of the tests was < 0.05. The time of action of the vascular risk factors showed a close relation to the carotid damage, mainly smoking (38.2 years as an average). The behavior of the action of the risk factors on the coronary arteries was evidenced in this same order of frequency by the ergometric test. The coincident relation between the carotid and the coronary damage was proved. There was a higher percentage of positive ergometric tests among the elderly with carotid stenosis (57.7 %).

Palavras-chave : Carotid injury; ischemic heart disease; elderly.