title: Wall shear stress in hypertensive patients is associated with carotid vascular deformation assessed by speckle tracking strain imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wall shear stress (WSS) is critically important in both vascular remodeling and atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and deformation parameters have been used as relevant indicators of carotid atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between hemodynamic parameters in the common carotid artery (CCA) and the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in untreated hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Carotid artery ultrasound was performed in 100 untreated hypertensive patients. Morphologic and hemodynamic parameters of the CCA, including peak and mean WSS, global circumferential strain, peak posterior radial strain assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking method, and IMT, were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with hypertension, there were significant correlations between carotid strain parameters and peak/mean WSS. Stepwise multiple regression analysis for carotid strain parameters after adjustment for age, carotid IMT, and brachial pulse wave velocity showed that peak WSS was an independent determinant of peak posterior radial strain (p = 0.009) and global circumferential strain (p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that local shear stress is associated with carotid vascular deformation, which could be an underlying mechanism for the progression of atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Joung Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Im
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Je Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Cheol Su
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Ga In
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Seon Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Sea Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Soo
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Joon
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kosin University College of Medicine, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702 Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Carotid arteries; Hypertension; Shear stress; Strain