Carotid intima-media thickness: a new marker of patients with uterine leiomyoma

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether or not there are any significant differences in carotid intima-media thickness between patients with uterine leiomyoma and controls.

Study design: Patients whose ages were between 40 and 50 years, with body mass index <30kg/m(2), and with a pathological diagnosis of uterine leiomyoma constituted the study group. Control subjects had no uterine leiomyoma proven by sonography. Demographic, clinical, and drug history data were collected. Right, left and mean carotid intima-media thickness measurements were obtained by ultrasonography.

Results: Carotid intima-media thickness and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were significantly different between the groups (p=0.0001 and p=0.001 respectively), being respectively higher and lower in the leiomyoma group than in controls. Stepwise binary logistic regression analysis revealed that uterine leiomyoma development ratio was 159.32 times higher when carotid intima-media thickness was over 0.61mm (p=0.0001). In patients with uterine leiomyoma, carotid intima-media thickness was significantly less in patients taking statins compared to those not on these drugs (p=0.0001).

Conclusion: The present study demonstrated a positive association between carotid intima-media thickness and the presence of uterine leiomyoma. Conversely, an inverse association was suggested between HDL and uterine leiomyoma. These findings suggest that women with uterine leiomyoma might have an increased risk of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Cardiovascular; Hypertension; Leiomyomas; Myomas; Statins; Uterine.