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Worried about your CIMT test results? Know what your carotid thickness score means, uncover hidden heart risks, and see where your grade ranks.
The carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) test checks how thick the inner walls of your carotid arteries are. The thicker they get, the higher your risk for heart problems.
For example, a thickness over 1.0 mm means a high chance of heart disease or stroke. Even how fast the walls thicken—called the accretion rate—can show early damage. That’s why doctors take this test seriously.
Your age, blood pressure, and family history all matter too. In this article, you'll learn how to read your CIMT results, what each score means, and what to do next.
After the CIMT test, the main result you’ll see is a measurement in millimeters.
This number tells how thick the inner layers of your carotid artery wall have become. In healthy adults, the typical range is 0.6 to 0.7 millimeters. This is considered normal and shows a low risk for heart disease.
But when the thickness reaches 0.7 to 0.95 millimeters, it signals a moderate to high risk. If the number is greater than 1.0 millimeter, the risk becomes even higher. In this case, there’s a stronger chance of developing heart disease, having a stroke, or facing other serious artery problems. These results are based on studies that tracked large groups of people over several years.
Besides looking at a single number, doctors may also check how fast the artery wall is thickening over time. This is called the CIMT accretion rate. A yearly increase of more than 0.016 mm means the arteries are changing too quickly. That could point to early damage that’s getting worse.
🩺 Doctor’s Note
The goal is to stay in the A or B range or move toward those zones if your grade is higher. With the right steps—like medicine, better food choices, or exercise—your grade can improve, and your risk may go down over time.
Along with the measurement in millimeters, some CIMT reports include a letter grade to show your level of risk. This grade compares your artery thickness to a large database of over 40,000 people of the same age and gender. Based on where you fall, you get a grade from A to E. Each grade tells how likely you are to have a heart attack or other cardiovascular event in the future.
If your grade is A, that means your arteries are in excellent shape. You have no increased risk. A B means your risk is still low, with only a small increase. A C means your risk is rising, about 1.5 times higher than average. A D puts you at about 1.5 to 2 times the normal risk. The highest grade, E, shows that your risk may be up to 2.7 times higher than someone your age with normal arteries.
These grades don’t predict exactly what will happen. Some people with high scores may never have a problem. Others with low scores might still develop heart disease. But this grading system gives a useful picture of your vascular health. It helps your doctor decide if you need treatment or follow-up.
A thicker wall, especially over 1.0 mm, means danger could be building inside, even if you feel fine. Your age, family background, blood pressure, and cholesterol all shape what the result really means for you. That’s why doctors connect the dots. Whether your grade is A or E, the test points out where you stand now and what might come next.
