Article
Open Access
Volume 5 · Issue 4 · 2025
pp. 147–152
Carotid Intima-media Thickness and Thrombosis Risk in Polycythemia Vera and Essential Thrombocythemia
Murat Bayrak1 
, Orhan Kaya2 , Elif Suyani3
, Orhan Kaya2 , Elif Suyani3
1
Department of Medical Oncology, Adana City Hospital, Adana, Türkiye
2
Deparment of Radyology, Private Biga Royal Hospital, Çanakkale, Türkiye
3
Deparment of Hematology, Adana City Hospital, Adana Türkiye
Abstract
Objectives: Thrombotic complications are the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with poly-cythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a surrogate marker used in the noninvasive assessment of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular event risk. This study aimed to evaluate CIMT in patients with PV and ET and to investigate its usefulness in risk stratification.
Methods: This study was conducted at the Hematology Clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Health Sci-ences University, with patients diagnosed with PV and ET and a control group. CIMT measurement by ultrasonography was performed at the Radiology Clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University. The study included 84 patients diagnosed between July 2006 and December 2016, including 42 with PV and 42 with ET, and 46 individuals in the control group.
Results: The median age of the patients was 57 years (min-max, 24-82); 38 were male (45%), and 46 were female (55%). Sixty individuals (71%) had a positive JAK2 mutation. There was no statistically significant difference in CIMT between the patient and control groups (0.83 vs. 0.85 mm; p=0.470). When the relationship between risk factors associated with increased CIMT was examined, a significant increase in CIMT was found in patients with JAK2 mutation, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (DM) (p<0.05). In the correlation analysis between CIMT increase and age, CIMT was found to be correlated with age (p<0.001, r=0.647). In the univariate analysis, age (B=0.584, p<0.001), JAK2 mutation (B=0.319, p=0.003), hypertension (B=0.395, p<0.001), and DM (B=0.311, p=0.004) were significantly associated with increased CIMT. However, in the multivariate analysis, only age was found to be an independent predictor of increased CIMT (B=0.584, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The lack of an independent association between thrombotic tendency and CIMT in patients with PV and ET suggests that thrombotic risk may not be explained solely by subclinical atherosclerosis.
Methods: This study was conducted at the Hematology Clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Health Sci-ences University, with patients diagnosed with PV and ET and a control group. CIMT measurement by ultrasonography was performed at the Radiology Clinic of Istanbul Training and Research Hospital, Health Sciences University. The study included 84 patients diagnosed between July 2006 and December 2016, including 42 with PV and 42 with ET, and 46 individuals in the control group.
Results: The median age of the patients was 57 years (min-max, 24-82); 38 were male (45%), and 46 were female (55%). Sixty individuals (71%) had a positive JAK2 mutation. There was no statistically significant difference in CIMT between the patient and control groups (0.83 vs. 0.85 mm; p=0.470). When the relationship between risk factors associated with increased CIMT was examined, a significant increase in CIMT was found in patients with JAK2 mutation, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (DM) (p<0.05). In the correlation analysis between CIMT increase and age, CIMT was found to be correlated with age (p<0.001, r=0.647). In the univariate analysis, age (B=0.584, p<0.001), JAK2 mutation (B=0.319, p=0.003), hypertension (B=0.395, p<0.001), and DM (B=0.311, p=0.004) were significantly associated with increased CIMT. However, in the multivariate analysis, only age was found to be an independent predictor of increased CIMT (B=0.584, p<0.001).
Conclusion: The lack of an independent association between thrombotic tendency and CIMT in patients with PV and ET suggests that thrombotic risk may not be explained solely by subclinical atherosclerosis.
Keywords: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV)
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