title: Aortic elastic properties are impaired in patients with Graves' ophtalmopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aortic elastic properties have been shown to be an important predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Hyperthyroidism was shown to be an important cause of impaired aortic elastic properties both due to the direct effect of the thyroid hormones on the aorta and also due to modulating effects of thyroid hormones on the vascular renin angiotensin system. However, there is no study investigating the aortic elastic properties in Graves's patients who were euthyroid. The goal of the present study was to investigate the aortic elastic properties of patients with Graves' Ophtalmopathy (GO) who had been euthyroid for at least 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed on 47 GO patients and 27 controls. Aortic-diastolic and aortic-systolic diameters, aortic strain, aortic distensibility, and aortic stiffness indices were calculated from the diameter of the thoracic aorta as measured by transthoracic echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aortic stiffness index was markedly increased (31 ± 26 vs. 17 ± 8.9; p = 0.015) and aortic strain was markedly reduced (20.3 ± 10 % vs. 25.9 ± 12 %; p = 0.046) in the GO group relative to the control group. Aortic distensibility was statistically significantly decreased in the GO group as compared to the control group (9.5 ± 5.7 10(-3)/kPa vs. 13.5 ± 7.1 10(-3)/kPa; p = 0.022). Weak correlations were detected between GO severity and aortic distensibility (r = -0.333, p = 0.011) as well as the aortic stiffness index (r = 0.266, p = 0.044).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aortic elastic properties were impaired in patients with GO. Therefore, patients with GO, especially those with severe manifestations of the condition, should be followed closely with regard to the occurrence of future cardiovascular events.
authors.affiliation: Ankara Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Ankara, Turkey. drmuratakcay@yahoo.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akcay
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yeter
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Durmaz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Keles
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Bayram
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yuksel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuksel Kalkan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayhan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Simavli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey; D014463:Ultrasonography