title: Pulse Wave Velocity, Intima Media Thickness, and Flow-mediated Dilatation in Patients with Normotensive Normoglycemic Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have increased risk for atherosclerosis. The cause of increased cardiovascular risk is not fully understood. Chronic inflammatory process may predispose to atherosclerosis. We aimed primarily to investigate subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with IBD, by measuring carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima media thickness, and flow-mediated dilatation compared with matched normal controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with IBD were recruited among individuals proven to have Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). To exclude any interference of confounding factors for endothelial dysfunction or atherosclerosis, we studied a specifically selected group with no additional cardiovascular risk. PWV, carotid intima media thickness, and flow-mediated dilatation levels were measured in all patients and controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The carotid femoral PWV levels were 8.13 ± 1.61 m/sec in the patients with UC, 8.16 ± 1.74 m/sec in the patients with CD, and 6.85 ± 0.95 m/sec in the healthy subjects. The levels of carotid femoral PWV were significantly higher in patients with CD and UC than control group (P < 0.001). Flow-mediated dilatation levels were significantly decreased in patients with UC and CD (9.6% ± 5.1% versus 108% ± 4.4%) when compared with control subjects (15.1% ± 9.7%) (P = 0.004). No significant difference in carotid intima media thickness was detected between UC, CD, and control groups (P = 0.152).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that patients with IBD without traditional cardiovascular risk factors have increased risk of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.
authors: Departments of *Gastroenterology, †Internal Medicine, ‡Radiology, and §Health Public and Epidemiology, Gulhane School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Kadir
authors: K
authors: Ozturk
authors: Ahmet Kerem
authors: AK
authors: Guler
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Cakir
authors: Alptug
authors: A
authors: Ozen
authors: Hakan
authors: H
authors: Demirci
authors: Turker
authors: T
authors: Turker
authors: Seref
authors: S
authors: Demirbas
authors: Ahmet
authors: A
authors: Uygun
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Gulsen
authors: Sait
authors: S
authors: Bagci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000209:etiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose