Assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis with carotid intima-media thickness in patients with scleroderma

Aim: Inflammation has an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. The risk of atherosclerosis and its complications is higher for patients with diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis in whom inflammatory activity is high than for healthy individuals. However, several studies have shown conflicting results in patients with scleroderma. In this study, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was compared in patients with scleroderma and a control group. Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with scleroderma (mean age 51.3 ± 11.8 years) and 30 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The groups were similar regarding age, gender, and risk factors for atherosclerosis. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding age, gender, lipid level, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus prevalence (p>0.05). The mean CIMT (scleroderma group: 0.070±0.011, control group: 0.048±0.008,