Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT)
What is CIMT?
CIMT stands for Carotid Intima Media Thickness and refers to the thickness of the inner layers of the artery.
What does the thickness of the vascular lining indicate?
Genetics and environmental factors including diet, exposure to carcinogens such as cigarette smoke, and a lack of exercise, combine over time to cause inflammation of the inner layers of the artery and the formation of plaque on the inner lining of the arterial wall. The thickening can be measured using ultrasound and sophisticated edge-detecting software to quantify the amount of disease that is present. The measurement of the thickness of the intima and media layers of the common carotid artery is predictive of future events like stroke, myocardial infarction, and heart attack.
What is a CIMT test?
It is a painless non-invasive test which utilizes digital ultrasound technology and advanced digital edge detection software. This test is performed easily in our office.
The CIMT scan takes approximately 10 minutes, is noninvasive (no needles), and does not expose the patient to any radiation. The patient is not required to disrobe. It provides valuable information about your individual risk of experiencing a heart attract, stroke, or MI.
What information does the CIMT test provide?
Multiple studies have shown that CIMT measurement detects the presence or absence of atherosclerotic disease and allows for the assessment of the degree of atherosclerotic burden better than other non-invasive cardiovascular tests available. It is recommended by both the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
The procedure:
- Can predict future cardiac and cerebrovascular events
- Allows earlier detection and intervention
- Allows more accurate risk stratification in asymptomatic patients than do traditional risk factors
- Can distinguish between different types of plaque providing further information about stable and unstable plaque
CIMT testing has been used in research for more than 20 years. It has only been available in the clinical settings since 2002. CIMT testing has been validated in multiple published studies in the most reputable journals. CIMT has been used in large epidemiologic trials and large outcome studies as a surrogate end point for clinical events. CIMT is probably the most studied methodology used to assess large numbers of patients in epidemiologic studies to determine either the correlation of Carotid Intima Media Thickening to clinical events or the correlation of CIMT to other known risk factors. There is a high correlation between the disease found in this procedure and the disease found through pathology samples. The amount of disease found in the common carotid artery correlates to the amount of disease found elsewhere in the body.
