title: Modulation of carotid strain by statin therapy in atherosclerosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The beneficial effect of statin therapy on the progress of atherosclerotic disease has been demonstrated by numerous studies. Vascular strain imaging is an arising method to evaluate arterial stiffness. Our study examined whether an influence of statin therapy on the vessel wall could be detected by vascular strain imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  88 patients with recently detected atherosclerosis underwent an angiological examination including ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave index (PWI), central puls ewave velocity and duplex ultrasound. Captures for vascular strain analysis were taken in B-mode during ultrasound examination of the common carotid artery and evaluated using a workstation equipped with a speckle tracking based software. A statin therapy was recommended and after six months a follow-up examination took place. Meanwhile, the non-adherence of a group of patients (N = 18) lead to a possibility to observe statin effects on the vascular strain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the statin non-adherent group the ABI decreased significantly to a still non-pathological level (1.2 ± 0.2 vs. 1.0 ± 0.2; p = 0.016) whereas it stagnated in the adherent group (1.0 ± 0.2 vs. 1.0 ± 0.2; p = 0.383). The PWI did not differ in the non-adherent group (180.5 ± 71.9 vs. 164.4 ± 75.8; p = 0.436) but under statin therapy it decreased significantly (261.8 ± 238.6 vs. 196.4 ± 137.4; p = 0.016). In comparison to the adherent group (4.2 ± 2.0 vs. 4.0 ± 1.8; p = 0.548) under statin therapy the radial strain decreased significantly in the non-adherent group (4.7 ± 2.0 vs. 3.3 ± 1.1; p = 0.014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings reveal a beneficial influence of statin therapy on the arterial wall detected by vascular strain analysis.
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.|a These authors contributed equally.
authors.forename: Christian Alexander
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.|a These authors contributed equally.
authors.forename: Anna Katharina
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Blatzheim
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian Gorgonius
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Passon
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin Solveig
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Pausewang
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Nadjib
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schahab
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nickenig
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skowasch
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schueler
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hammerstingl
authors.affiliation: 1 Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pingel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: Statin; atherosclerosis; carotid strain; vascular stiffness