title: Carotid arterial stiffness as a surrogate for aortic stiffness: relationship between carotid artery pressure-strain elastic modulus and aortic pulse wave velocity.
abstract: Common carotid arterial (CCA) stiffness can be assessed during carotid ultrasonography, but its association with aortic stiffness, a well-defined cardiovascular risk factor, has not been clarified. This study examines the relationship between CCA and aortic stiffness. CCA pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep) and aortic pulse wave velocity (APWV) were evaluated in 110 healthy volunteers (age 56.2 +/- 14.6 y) by B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography. CCA Ep increased linearly with age and was higher in men than in women (model r2 = 0.50, p < 0.001). APWV increased quadratically with age (model r2 = 0.54, p < 0.001), similarly for women and men. Both CCA Ep and APWV were linearly associated with systolic blood pressure (BP) (r = 0.53 and 0.46, respectively) but not with diastolic BP. A linear relationship was found between CCA Ep and APWV (APWV = 194.7 + 5.67 x Ep [model r2 = 0.42, p < 0.001]). CCA Ep was associated with APWV (p < 0.001) independent of age, gender, and BP (model r2 = 0.62, p < 0.001), and the most parsimonious model to explain APWV included CCA Ep and age (APWV = 601.73 - 15.64 x age + 0.223 x age2 + 2.69 x Ep [model r2 = 0.60, p < 0.001]). Thus, CCA Ep is moderately associated with APWV. CCA stiffness as assessed by B-mode may be useful as a surrogate for aortic stiffness.
mesh_terms: D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology