Carotid Intimal Medial Thickness Test

Carotid intimal medial test also known as CIMT involves a noninvasive ultrasound procedure to determine the presence of cardiovascular disease because of the thickening of carotid arteries. Many risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol, exposure to toxic fumes and carcinogens induce inflammation of the arteries. The inflammation caused gradually results in the formation of plaque. The route to the incidence of cardiovascular disease is determined by the CIMT test as carotid arteries provide a channel. The relation pertaining to plaque formation in the carotid artery and coronary artery is very significant as it determines the increased risk of heart disease in a person. This test is conducted predominantly to measure the thickness between lumen-intima and media-adventitia layers of the carotid artery.

CIMT test also helps in the identification of stenosis if present. The link between cardiovascular disease and the CIMT is by the identification of arteriosclerotic beds in various regions. The test determines the ten year coronary heart disease incidence based on the Firmigham risk score. The determination of carotid wall thickening through ultrasound technique can help in the identification of asymptomatic cardiac conditions. It also determines conditions associated with subclinical vascular disease. CIMT is increasingly becoming an important diagnostic necessity for clinicians since it also determines cerebrovascular conditions.