Carotid endothelial shear stress reduction with aging is associated with plaque development in twelve years.
Atherosclerosis is associated with clinical, biochemical and haemodynamic risk factors. In a group of subjects studied twelve years apart, we evaluated carotid plaque development in relation to baseline and to changes at follow-up in common carotid haemodynamic profile.



Forty-eight participants were recruited to a cardiovascular disease prevention programme. Atherosclerotic plaques were evaluated and scored by echography. Endothelial shear stress, circumferential wall tension, and Peterson's elastic modulus as an index of arterial stiffness, were computed by echo-Doppler, along with blood viscosity data. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to test the association among the development of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular risk factors and haemodynamic variations. Analyses were also performed on participants who presented at the follow-up with carotid haemodynamic variations in the left or right common carotid only.



Participants (69% male) were aged 64.5 ± 9.7 years at follow-up. Peak and mean endothelial shear stress was significantly lower at follow-up as previously reported; circumferential wall tension and arterial stiffness were significantly higher. Carotid plaque scores increased after 12 years (0.39 ± 0.72 vs. 0.67 ± 0.86, p < 0.01). Of the 96 common carotids analysed, shear stress reduction with aging was an independent predictor of carotid atherosclerosis (B = -0.063; odds ratio = 0.94; p = 0.01). Out of 48 participants, 21 (44%) showed shear stress reduction with aging in only one side of the body and, on this side, the plaque score increased (0.52 ± 0.98 vs. 0.90 ± 0.94, p < 0.05), remaining unchanged in the contralateral carotid tree.



Aging-related shear stress reduction is an independent predictor of atherosclerosis development.
Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom. Electronic address: numemaca@yahoo.it.
Claudio
C
Carallo
Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
Cesare
C
Tripolino
Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
Maria Serena
MS
De Franceschi
Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
Concetta
C
Irace
Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
Xiao Yun
XY
Xu
Metabolic Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, "Magna Græcia" University, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
Agostino
A
Gnasso
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
Atherosclerosis; Carotid arteries; Haemodynamics