Abstract: Objective To investigate the factor related to atherosclerosis of carotid artery. Methods Carotid arteries of 142 conscious patients with cerebral infarction (CI) and 78 without cerebrovascular disease (NCVD) were detected with color Doppler ultrasonography. Results Atherosclerotic plaques were found in 64.8% (92/142) patients with CI, and in 28.0% (22/78) NCVD patients (P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that incidence of atherosclerotic plaques correlated with age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (P<0.01). Conclusion Formation of atherosclerotic plaques is a risk factor to CI, and related with age, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

Key words: cerebral infarction, carotid, atherosclerosis, risk factors