title: Aortic distensibility and coronary artery bypass graft patency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic distensibility is an elasticity index of the aorta, and reflects aortic stiffness. Coronary artery disease has been found to be substantially associated with increased aortic stiffness. In this study we aimed to retrospectively analyze the association of angiographically determined aortic distensibility with the patency rates of coronary bypass grafts
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the Cardiology department of the Applied Research Centre for Health of Uludağ University. The coronary angiograms of 53 consecutive coronary bypass patients were analysed retrospectively. Aortic distensibility was calculated using the formula: 2 x (change in aortic diameter)/(diastolic aortic diameter) x (change in aortic pressure). The number of stenosed and patent bypass grafts and the patient characteristics like age, risk factors were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 44 male (83%) and 9 female (17%) cases. Eighteen cases had only one saphenous vein grafting. The number of cases with two, three and four saphenous grafting were 18, 11 and 1; respectively. In the control angiograms the number of cases with one, two, three and four saphenous vein graft obstruction were 15 (31.3%), 7 (14.6%), 1 (2.1%) and 1 (2.1%) respectively. The aortic distensibility did not differ in cases with and without saphenous graft occlusion (p > 0.05). Also left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft patency was not related to the distensibility of the aorta (p > 0.05). We also evaluated the data for cut-off values of 50 and 70 mmHg of pulse pressure and did not see any significant difference between the groups in terms of saphenous or LIMA grafts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study we failed to show association of angiographically determined aortic distensibility with coronary bypass graft patency in consecutive 53 patients with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG).
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Uludağ University Medical Faculty, Görükle, Bursa, Turkey. buloz2@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biçer
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baran
authors.forename: Aysel Aydin
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaderli
authors.forename: Tunay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sentürk
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emül
authors.forename: Zeynel Abidin
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Yetgin
authors.forename: Sümeyye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Güllülü
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydinlar