ObjectiveTo detect the vascular structure and elastic function of carotid artery in patients with diabetes by quality intima-media thickness（QIMT） and quality arterial stiffness（QAS） techniques

and to explore the correlation between body mass index（BMI）and carotid artery vascular damage.Methods A total of 90 diabetic patients and 90 healthy volunteers matched by gender and BMI were prospectively enrolled in this study（diabetes group and control group）.The two groups were divided into 3 subgroups according to the BMI including normal body mass subgroup

overweight subgroup and obesity subgroup

with 30 cases in each subgroup.QIMT and QAS techniques were used to measure the intima-media thickness（IMT）

stiffness index（β）

pulse wave velocity（PWV）and compliance coefficient（CC）of common carotid artery in all subjects.The differences of the above parameters between groups were compared

and the correlation between carotid artery elasticity parameters and diabetes and BMI were analyzed.Results The values of carotid IMT

PWV and β in diabetes group were significantly higher than those in control group

while CC was lower than that in control group（all P<0.05）.Also

IMT

PWV and β in diabetes group and control group increased with the increase of BMI

while CC decreased gradually（all P<0.05）.Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that both diabetes and BMI were independently correlated with IMT and PWV（all P<0.05）.Compared with the risk factors of diabetes

the increase of BMI had more influence on IMT and PWV（standardizedβ=0.643

0.534

both P<0.001）.ConclusionBMI and diabetes cause the damage of carotid artery structure and elastic function independently

and the damage effect of increasing BMI on the structure and elastic function of carotid artery is more serious.