title: Radial artery diameter does not correlate with body mass index: A duplex ultrasound analysis of 1706 patients undergoing trans-radial catheterization at three experienced radial centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We examined whether the radial artery diameter is correlated with body mass index (BMI) in patients undergoing transradial catheterization.
  
  
  METHODS
  1706 patients undergoing trans-radial catheterization at three experienced, high-volume, radial centers were analyzed. Radial and ulnar artery diameters were determined by ultrasound in the distal third of the forearm one day post procedure. Pearson correlation test was used to measure the relationship between continuous variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radial diameter was larger than the ulnar artery [median 2.8mm (interquartile range (IQR): 2.4-3.1mm) vs. median 2.4mm (IQR: 2.1-2.6mm), p<0.001]. Women had smaller radial and ulnar arteries compared to men [median 2.6mm (IQR: 2.3-2.9mm) vs. median 2.8 (IQR: 2.4-3.2mm), p<0.001 and median 2.2mm (IQR: 2.0-2.5mm) vs. median 2.5mm (IQR: 2.2-2.7mm), p<0.001, respectively]. There was no correlation between radial diameter and BMI (Pearson correlation=0.003, p=0.88 (2-sided)), but a strong linear correlation between the radial and ulnar artery diameter existed (Pearson correlation=0.48, p<0.001 (2-sided)). After adjustment for clinical variables including diabetes, gender, and age, female gender was associated with smaller radial diameter (<2.8mm) (odds ratio 1.72; 95% CI 1.40-2.12, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No correlation was observed between radial artery diameter and BMI, although female gender was associated with smaller radial diameter. This suggests catheterization can be performed without anthropometric consideration, although it should be recognized women may have smaller radial arteries. As the diameter of the radial is larger than the ulnar artery, the radial should remain the default catheterization access-site.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, National Cardiovascular Center Harapan Kita Jakarta, Indonesia. Electronic address: drsuryadharma@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Surya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinic of Cardiology, University of St. Cyril & Methodius, Vodnjanska 17, Skopje, Macedonia.
authors.forename: Sasko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kedev
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Apex Heart Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Tejas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Sunil V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Laval Hospital, Quebec, Quebec City, Canada.
authors.forename: Olivier F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.affiliation: Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Ian C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Gilchrist
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002404:Catheterization; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017535:Ulnar Artery; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex
keywords: Body mass index; Correlation; Radial artery diameter