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Carotid artery reactivity to isometric hand grip exercise identifies persons at risk and with coronary disease

Melvyn Rubenfire1, Ning Cao, Dean E Smith

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, P.O. Box 363, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0363, USA. mrubenfi@umich.edu

Atherosclerosis
|January 5, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Carotid artery (CA) dilation during exercise (IHG) reflects coronary risk, unlike brachial artery diameter (DBA) changes. This CA response may help identify pre-clinical coronary artery disease (CAD).

Area of Science:

  • Vascular endothelial function
  • Cardiovascular risk assessment
  • Non-invasive diagnostic imaging

Background:

  • Brachial artery diameter changes after cuff release assess endothelial function and coronary risk.
  • The study investigated carotid artery diameter response to exercise and its relation to coronary risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Determine carotid artery diameter response to isometric handgrip exercise (IHG).
  • Assess if coronary risk influences this response.
  • Compare the IHG method with the brachial artery occlusion (BAO) cuff release method.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution ultrasound measured carotid artery diameter (DCA(d)) during IHG.
  • Brachial artery diameter (DBA(d)) was measured post-occlusion.
  • Participants underwent IHG at 33% of maximum for 120s.

Main Results:

  • No change in carotid artery diameter during IHG.
  • Carotid artery dilated >0.1 mm in 95% of average-risk volunteers post-occlusion.
  • High-risk and CAD subjects showed no change or constriction in carotid artery diameter.
  • Carotid artery and brachial artery responses were highly correlated (r=0.66).

Conclusions:

  • Carotid artery reactivity to IHG is significantly influenced by coronary risk.
  • This method may serve as an additional tool for characterizing pre-clinical coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Potential application in assessing treatment strategies for CAD.
Abstract

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