title: Increased aortic stiffness in patients with coronary artery ectasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alterations in aortic stiffness may reflect the elastic properties of the larger arteries. In many diseases, aortic elastic properties have been investigated to show whether the larger arteries are involved. The elastic properties of aorta in patients with coronary artery ectasia, however, have not been studied yet. We aimed to investigate aortic stiffness parameters in patients with coronary artery ectasia and to compare patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease with the control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with coronary artery ectasia, 31 patients with coronary artery disease and 30 patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries were included in this study. Aortic diameters were measured on the M-mode tracing obtained at a level 3 cm beyond the aortic valve at parasternal long-axis view. Aortic diameter change, aortic strain, aortic distensibility and stiffness parameters were measured as aortic stiffness parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortic diameter changes were fewer in the coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease group than in the control group (0.4 +/- 0.1 and 0.3 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.8 +/- 0.2; P < 0.001). Aortic distensibility and aortic strain were significantly lower in patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease than in the controls (for aortic distensibility P < 0.001 and for aortic strain P < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). In contrast, a significantly higher aortic stiffness index was observed in patients with coronary artery ectasia and coronary artery disease than in the control group (14.2+/-2.6 and 18.1 +/- 2.9 vs. 5.9 +/- 1.8; P < 0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The impairment in aortic elastic properties in patients with coronary artery ectasia indicates that this disease is a generalized disease rather than a localized disease of the coronary arteries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey. mferidunkosar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Feridun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kosar
authors.forename: Isa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sincer
authors.forename: Yuksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.forename: Ergün
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Topal
authors.forename: Sengül
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cehreli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003330:Coronary Vessel Anomalies / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D004108:Dilatation, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography