title: Elastic properties of aorta are impaired in patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased stiffening and decreased distensibility of the large arteries are associated with the presence of coronary artery disease and has been related to increased cardiovascular mortality in different populations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Aim of this present study was to investigate the elastic properties of the aortic wall in patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 20 patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon (age: 40+/-12 years)and 15 normal control subjects by echocardiography. Aortic strain (%) and distensibility (10(-3) mmHg(-1)) were calculated from the echocardiographically-derived thoracic Ao diameters (mm). The measurement of pulse pressure was obtained by cuff sphygmomanometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in the left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic diameters, left atrial diameters, left ventricular mass index between patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon and control groups. Maximal aortic diastolic diameter was increased in patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon compared with control group (p<0.05). Ao distensibility and Ao strain were lower in the patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon compared with control group (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced thoracic aortic elastic properties in patients with slow coronary flow phenomenon,assessed by echocardiography, apart from demonstrating subclinical atherosclerosis may also contribute to the etiopathogenesis of the slow coronary flow phenomenon necessitating more aggressive primary preventive measure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Turkey. aratnurcan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arat
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altay
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sabah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003971:Diastole; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006325:Heart Atria; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013318:Stroke Volume; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left