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A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
Correlates of vascular structure and function measures in asymptomatic young adults: the Bogalusa Heart Study
Azad R Bhuiyan1, Sathanur R Srinivasan, Wei Chen
1Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Insights
Cardiovascular risk factors adversely affect vascular structure and function in young adults. Early identification of vascular damage using non-invasive methods is crucial for preventive cardiology in high-risk individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular disease research
- Vascular biology
- Preventive cardiology
Background:
- Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors are linked to adverse arterial changes, particularly in older adults.
- Non-invasive studies on vascular structure and function in younger populations are emerging.
- Limited data exists on correlates of simultaneous vascular measures using different non-invasive methods in young adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlates of simultaneous measures of vascular structure and function in young adults.
- To identify predictors of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), aorta-femoral pulse wave velocity (af-PWV), and large (C1) and small (C2) artery compliances.
- To understand the influence of CV risk factors on vascular health in a young, asymptomatic population.
Main Methods:
- Vascular structure and function were assessed in 518 Black and White subjects (aged 27-43 years).
- Measurements included carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), aorta-femoral pulse wave velocity (af-PWV), and large (C1) and small (C2) artery compliances.
- Multivariate regression models were used to identify significant predictors for each vascular measure.
Main Results:
- Blacks and males had higher IMT; Blacks had higher af-PWV; Blacks and females had lower C1 and C2.
- Key predictors for IMT included systolic blood pressure, male gender, age, smoking, and LDL cholesterol.
- Predictors for af-PWV were systolic blood pressure, HOMA-IR, smoking, and age; for C1 were systolic blood pressure, female gender, and HOMA-IR; and for C2 were systolic blood pressure, female gender, age, diastolic blood pressure, smoking, triglycerides, and Black race.
Conclusions:
- Cardiovascular risk factors significantly impact vascular structure and function in young adults.
- Small artery compliance (C2) demonstrated the greatest variance explained by CV risk factors.
- Non-invasive assessment of vascular structure/function can help identify early vascular damage in high-risk young individuals for preventive cardiology.
Background:
Adverse changes in arterial structure and function, independent predictors of cardiovascular (CV) disease morbidity and mortality, are known to be associated with CV risk factors, especially in middle-aged and older adults. Although non-invasive studies in this regard are beginning to emerge in a younger age population, information is lacking on the correlates of measures of vascular structure and function obtained simultaneously by different non-invasive methods.
Methods:
In 518 black and white subjects (72% white, 44% male) aged 27-43 years, vascular structure and function were measured in terms of (1) carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), (2) aorta-femoral pulse wave velocity (af-PWV), and (3) pulsatile arterial function in terms of large (C1) and small (C2) artery compliances.
Results:
Blacks versus whites and males versus females had higher carotid IMT; blacks versus whites higher af-PWV; and blacks versus whites and females versus males lower C1 and C2. In a multivariate regression model, significant predictors in the order of entry into the model were systolic blood pressure, male gender, age, cigarette smoking, and LDL cholesterol for carotid IMT (R(2)=0.189); systolic blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), cigarette smoking, and age for af-PWV (R(2)=0.200); systolic blood pressure, female gender, and HOMA-IR for C1 (R(2)=0.258); and systolic blood pressure, female gender, age, diastolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, triglycerides, and black race for C2 (R(2)=0.394).
Conclusion:
In asymptomatic young adults, CV risk factors influence adversely measures of both structure and function of the vasculature to varying degrees, with small artery compliance showing maximum variance. As part of preventive cardiology, assessment of structure/function measures of the vasculature by simple non-invasive methods may be helpful in identifying early vascular damage in a high-risk young population group.
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