Journals / Hitit Medical Journal / 2026 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 2

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Ischemia and No Obstructive Coronary Arteries (INOCA): A Marker of Early Atherosclerosis

Tıkayıcı Koroner Arter Hastalığı Olmayan İskemi (INOCA) Hastalarında Karotis İntima-Media Kalınlığı: Erken Aterosklerozun Bir Göstergesi

Muhammet Cihat Çelik(Hitit Üniversitesi Çorum Erol OLÇOK Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi)0000-0002-6496-7849
Mucahit Yetim(HİTİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2444-7523
Macit Kalçık(HİTİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-8791-4475
Lütfü Bekar(HİTİT ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-3920-1382
Pages
211–221
Publication Date
2026-06-29
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

CIMT measurement may represent a simple and noninvasive method for identifying high-risk patients in this population.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Objective: Ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is increasingly recognized as a clinically relevant entity associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
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Key Findings & Data:Material and Method: A total of 145 patients with INOCA (mean age: 53.2 ± 9.1 years, 40% male) and 150 healthy controls (mean age: 56.7 ± 7.4 years, 44% male) were enrolled in this single-center case-control study between May 2018 and January 2024.
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Conclusion & Impact:CIMT measurement may represent a simple and noninvasive method for identifying high-risk patients in this population.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2018 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Mikrovasküler anjina · Karotis intima-media kalınlığı · Subklinik ateroskleroz

Abstract

Objective: Ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA) is increasingly recognized as a clinically relevant entity associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a surrogate marker of early atherosclerosis and may provide insight into the systemic vascular involvement in INOCA. This study aimed to compare CIMT between patients with INOCA and healthy controls. Material and Method: A total of 145 patients with INOCA (mean age: 53.2 ± 9.1 years, 40% male) and 150 healthy controls (mean age: 56.7 ± 7.4 years, 44% male) were enrolled in this single-center case-control study between May 2018 and January 2024. The diagnosis of INOCA was based on the presence of typical angina, objective evidence of ischemia on treadmill exercise testing or myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, and without angiographic evidence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery stenosis (>50%) or vasospasm during invasive coronary angiography. CIMT was measured from the left common carotid artery using high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Comparisons between groups were performed, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of CIMT. Results: Baseline demographic, echocardiographic, and laboratory parameters were similar between INOCA patients and controls (all p > 0.05). Mean CIMT was significantly higher in the INOCA group compared with controls (0.58 ± 0.13 mm vs. 0.52 ± 0.11 mm, p 0.54 mm predicted the presence of INOCA with a sensitivity of 59% and a specificity of 52% (AUC: 0.605, 95% CI: 0.540–0.669, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Patients with INOCA exhibited significantly increased carotid intima-media thickness compared with healthy controls, suggesting that INOCA is associated with early systemic atherosclerosis. CIMT measurement may represent a simple and noninvasive method for identifying high-risk patients in this population.

Özet

Amaç: Tıkayıcı koroner arter hastalığı olmayan iskemi (INOCA), olumsuz kardiyovasküler sonuçlarla ilişkili, klinik açıdan önemli bir durum olarak giderek daha fazla kabul görmektedir. Karotis intima-media kalınlığı (KİMK), erken aterosklerozun dolaylı bir belirteci olup INOCA’daki sistemik vasküler tutulum hakkında fikir verebilir. Bu çalışmada, INOCA hastaları ile sağlıklı kontroller arasında KİMK değerlerinin karşılaştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu tek merkezli olgu-kontrol çalışmasına, Mayıs 2018 ile Ocak 2024 tarihleri arasında INOCA tanısı alan 145 hasta (ortalama yaş: 53,2 ± 9,1 yıl; %40 erkek) ve 150 sağlıklı kontrol (ortalama yaş: 56,7 ± 7,4 yıl; %44 erkek) dahil edildi. INOCA tanısı; tipik anjina varlığı, treadmill egzersiz testi veya miyokard perfüzyon sintigrafisinde objektif iskemi kanıtı bulunması ve invaziv koroner anjiyografide tıkayıcı epikardiyal koroner arter darlığı (>%50) veya vazospazm saptanmaması esas alınarak konuldu. Karotis intima-media kalınlığı (KİMK), yüksek çözünürlüklü B-mod ultrasonografi kullanılarak sol ana karotis arterden ölçüldü. Gruplar arasında karşılaştırmalar yapıldı ve KİMK’nin tanısal performansını değerlendirmek için ROC eğrisi analizi uygulandı. Bulgular: INOCA ve kontrol grupları arasında temel demografik, ekokardiyografik ve laboratuvar parametreleri açısından anlamlı fark saptanmadı (tüm p > 0,05). Ortalama KİMK, INOCA grubunda kontrollerden anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti (0,58 ± 0,13 mm’ye karşı 0,52 ± 0,11 mm; p 0,54 mm değerinin INOCA’yı %59 duyarlılık ve %52 özgüllükle öngördüğünü gösterdi (AUC: 0,605; %95 GA: 0,540–0,669; p = 0,002). Sonuç: INOCA hastalarında, sağlıklı kontrollere kıyasla anlamlı derecede artmış karotis intima-media kalınlığı saptandı. Bu bulgu, INOCA’nın erken sistemik ateroskleroz ile ilişkili olabileceğini düşündürmektedir. KİMK ölçümü, bu hasta grubunda yüksek riskli bireyleri belirlemek için basit ve noninvaziv bir yöntem olabilir.

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Cite This Article

Çelik, M. C., Yetim, M., Kalçık, M., Bekar, L. (2026). Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Patients with Ischemia and No Obstructive Coronary Arteries (INOCA): A Marker of Early Atherosclerosis. Hitit Medical Journal, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 2, 211–221. https://doi.org/10.52827/hititmedj.1777829

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