title: Influence of smoking cessation on carotid artery wall elasticity evaluated by echo-tracking.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exploring the use of echo-tracking (ET) for evaluating changes in carotid artery wall elasticity after smoking cessation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid artery ultrasound examination was performed in 67 male patients before and after smoking cessation treatment, for measurement of intimal media thickness (IMT), and ET measurement of wall elasticity variables, ie, wall stiffness index (β), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), compliance (AC), augmentation index (AI), and local pulse wave velocity (PWVβ). We also measured heart rate (HR), systolic pressure (Ps), diastolic pressure (Pd), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride level (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperlipemia and/or arterial hypertension and/or hyperglycemia were absent in 22 (group A1) and 12 (group B1) and present in 19 (group A2) and 14 (group B2) of the patients with successful (group A, n = 41) and unsuccessful (group B, n = 26) treatment, respectively. In the A1 group, there was no significant difference in AI before and after smoking cessation, whereas β, Ep, and PWVβ decreased, and AC increased (p < 0.05). None of these variables changed after smoking cessation in groups A2, B1, and B2. There was no change in IMT in either group. HR decreased and HDL increased in the A1 group, without change in Ps, Pd, TC, TG, and LDL. There was no change in HR, Ps, Pd, TC, TG, LDL, and HDL in groups A2, B1, and B2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ET can be used to evaluate quantitatively the impact of smoking cessation on common carotid artery wall elasticity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, ChaoYang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Pu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ruijun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Shuilian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Lihuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Baihua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jing
authors.forename: Mingqiu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids