RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Assessment of ascending aorta wall stiffness in hypertensive patients by tissue Doppler imaging and strain Doppler echocardiography
JF Heart
JO Heart
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society
SP 1469
OP 1474
DO 10.1136/hrt.2010.198358
VO 96
IS 18
A1 Vitarelli, Antonio
A1 Giordano, Marcello
A1 Germanò, Giuseppe
A1 Pergolini, Mario
A1 Cicconetti, Paolo
A1 Tomei, Francesco
A1 Sancini, Angela
A1 Battaglia, Daniela
A1 Dettori, Olga
A1 Capotosto, Lidia
A1 De Cicco, Valentina
A1 De Maio, Melissa
A1 Vitarelli, Massimo
A1 Bruno, Pasqualina
YR 2010
UL http://heart.bmj.com/content/96/18/1469.abstract
AB Background Aortic stiffness may be associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events and has been reported to be related to arterial wall motion velocities as measured by tissue Doppler imaging.Objective To investigate the potential clinical application of tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) for assessment of aortic function parameters in healthy and hypertensive adults.Methods 110 hypertensive and 80 healthy adults were examined. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) were measured as standard parameters of arterial stiffness by an oscillometric system. Aortic M-mode and TDI parameters were measured. Aortic distensibility (D) and aortic stiffness index (SI) were calculated using accepted formulae. Anterior wall aortic expansion velocity (SAo), acceleration time (ATAo), early (EAo) and late (AAo) diastolic retraction velocity and peak systolic radial strain (εAo) were determined. Comprehensive echocardiography was performed for the assessment of left ventricular (LV) systolic/diastolic function.Results SAo, EAo and eAo were significantly lower in hypertensive subjects (p<.001, p<.001, and p<.0001, respectively). Reduced D (p<.05 vs controls) and increased PWV (p<.05 vs controls) and SI (p<.01 vs controls) were consistent with evidence of increased aortic stiffness in both male and female hypertensive patients. PWV and Aix increased and D decreased with increasing age or systolic blood pressure. Multivariate analysis showed εAo to be independently related (R2 = 0.63) to pulse pressure, LV mass index and diastolic function.Conclusion Ascending aorta TDI provides wall velocity and strain data differentiating hypertensive from healthy adults and reflecting aortic compliance changes related to age and sex and LV diastolic function.