title: Circumferential strain of carotid arteries does not differ between patients with advanced coronary artery disease and group without coronary stenoses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Speckle tracking echocardiography is widely used for the analysis of myocardial function. Recently, circumferential strain (CS) of carotid arteries was postulated as novel indicator of vascular function. Our aim was to characterize and compare CS of carotid arteries in patients with advanced coronary artery disease and controls without significant coronary stenoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared CS of both common carotid arteries (CCA) in the 25 patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease (3VD) (mean age 69±9 years, 9 male) and in 16 age-matched subjects without significant coronary lesions (C) (69±8 years, 7 male). Additionally in 11 patients we estimated pulse wave velocity (PWV) and assessed the correlation between PWV and CS. Short-axis images of arteries were acquired for strain analysis with linear probe of echocardiograph. The assessment of CS was performed off-line by two observers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intraobserver variability for the CS (coefficient of variation) were 4.9 and 5.4% for left and right CCA and interobserver variability were 11.7% and 12.5%, respectively. The mean CS for left and right CCA did not differ between compared groups. We did not find correlation between CS strain and PWV. The only difference was related to the more prevalent plaque presence and thicker intima-media complex (IMT) in 3VD (p=0.0039 for IMT of left CCA and p=0.016 for IMT of right CCA).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The global CS of CCA, contrary to IMT, did not allow for differentiation between 3VD and C subjects. Despite good feasibility and concordance of CS measurements its clinical significance remains to be established.
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. Electronic address: wierzbowska@ptkardio.pl.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wierzbowska-Drabik
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Kamila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cygulska
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cieślik-Guerra
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uznańska-Loch
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rechciński
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Trzos
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurpesa
authors.affiliation: Chair and Cardiology Department, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: Jarosław D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kasprzak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
keywords: Carotid arteries; Circumferential strain; Coronary disease; Echocardiography; Intima-media thickness