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Aortic stiffness in patients with cardiac syndrome X

Sevket Gorgulu1, Nevzat Uslu, Mehmet Eren

  • 1Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, Cardiology Department, Istanbul, Turkey. sevket5@yahoo.com

Acta Cardiologica
|January 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Patients with cardiac syndrome X exhibit significantly reduced aortic elasticity, indicating a widespread vascular issue. This finding highlights potential links between aortic stiffness and cardiovascular health in this patient group.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Biology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Aortic stiffness is increasingly recognized for its association with cardiovascular mortality.
  • Cardiac Syndrome X is characterized by chest pain despite normal coronary arteries, suggesting underlying vasodilator dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate aortic stiffness parameters in patients diagnosed with Cardiac Syndrome X.
  • To explore whether Cardiac Syndrome X involves generalized vascular disturbances.

Main Methods:

  • Transthoracic echocardiography was used to measure ascending aorta diameters in 18 patients with Cardiac Syndrome X and 27 controls.
  • Aortic stiffness parameters, including diameter change, pulse pressure, aortic strain, and distensibility, were calculated.

Main Results:

  • Patients with Cardiac Syndrome X showed significantly less aortic diameter change compared to controls (0.15 vs. 0.28 cm/m2, p < 0.001).
  • Aortic strain (9% vs. 18%, p < 0.001) and distensibility (4.01 vs. 9.95 cm2 x dyn(-1) x 10(-3), p < 0.001) were significantly lower in the Cardiac Syndrome X group.

Conclusions:

  • The study demonstrates impaired aortic elasticity in patients with Cardiac Syndrome X.
  • These findings suggest that Cardiac Syndrome X may represent a more generalized disorder affecting vascular function.
Abstract

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