normal (198)

Grade I (166)

Class II (86)

Level III (66)

P-value

Age (years)

48.9 ± 13.6

53.3 ± 14.5

61.8 ± 20.6

62.2 ± 19.2

<0.001

Male [number of cases (%)]

96 (48.5)

83 (50.0)

44 (51.2)

34 (51.5)

0.996

Diabetes [cases (%)]

8 (4.0)

10 (6.6)

13 (15.1)

12 (18.2)

<0.001

Hypertension [cases (%)]

17 (8.6)

26 (15.7)

35 (40.7)

35 (53.0)

<0.001

Coronary heart disease [number of cases (%)]

3 (1.5)

3 (1.8)

3 (3.5)

2 (3.0)

0.958

Hyperlipidemia [% of cases]

76 (38.4)

82 (49.4)

53 (61.6)

44 (66.7)

<0.001

Bilateral common carotid artery IMT and (mm)

1.28 ± 0.33

1.46 ± 0.36

1.98 ± 0.38

2.01 ± 0.37

<0.001

Carotid artery plaques [% of cases]

40 (20.2)

65 (39.2)

51 (59.3)

45 (68.2)

<0.001

Vulnerable plaques [% of cases]

10 (5.1)

11 (6.6)

19 (22.1)

18 (27.3)

<0.001

Carotid artery plaque score (points)

1.77 ± 0.54

2.11 ± 0.62

3.98 ± 0.72

4.02 ± 0.81

<0.001

Carotid artery stenosis [% of cases]

4 (2.0)

6 (3.6)

12 (13.9)

11 (16.7)

<0.001