Background: Analysis of the perception of the disease in borderline stenosis of the orifice of the internal carotid artery (ICA) (up to 69% in diameter) in asymptomatic patients.
Subjects and methods: 48 patients (28 men and 20 women). Group 1: stenosis up to 49% - 23 people (13 men, 10 women), mean age 50.4±16.1 y.o. Group 2: stenosis 50-59% - 18 people (10 men, 8 women), mean age 57.3±16 y.o. Group 3: stenosis 60-69% - 7 people (5 men, 2 women), mean age 61±12.3 y.o. All patients underwent ultrasound Doppler of brachiocephalic arteries, examination with Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire E. Broadbent (Russian version).
Results: According to the results of examination of patients with ICA stenosis, patients with more pronounced lesions (60-69%) more often have a type of reaction "negative attitude to the consequences of the disease".
Conclusions: The majority of patients (54.2%) have a "negative type of attitude towards the consequences of the disease". This type of attitude to the disease is most pronounced in women and patients with stenosis of the ICA 60-69%. It is necessary to perform the psychological work with patients with carotid stenosis in order to form in them more adaptive types of perception of the disease, understanding of the disease and a positive attitude towards treatment.
Keywords: perception of the disease - carotid stenosis - carotid atherosclerosis – internal carotid artery.