Improved aortic stiffness assessment in the elderly using a one-dimensional fluid displacement MR method.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular imaging
• Medical physics
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Aortic stiffness is a key indicator of cardiovascular health and a predictor of cardiovascular events.
• Accurate measurement of aortic stiffness is crucial for risk stratification and management.
• Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging offers non-invasive methods for assessing cardiovascular parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro accuracy of two rapid projective MR wave velocity measurement sequences.
• To compare the performance of these MR sequences in assessing aortic stiffness across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• In vitro testing with latex tube phantoms to determine flow wave velocities.
• In vivo measurements of aortic wave velocity (AWV) in 104 adults (aged 21-83 years).
• Assessment of relative agreement and coefficient of variation between two MR methods across age tertiles.

Main Results:

• Both MR methods demonstrated accurate in vitro wave velocity measurements.
• In vivo, mean AWVs agreed between methods for young and middle-aged adults.
• Significant disagreement was observed in the elderly group, with one sequence outperforming the other.

Conclusions:

• A 1D MR method using aortic blood displacement is more reliable for assessing aortic stiffness in the elderly compared to a blood velocity-based method.
• The two MR methods provide equivalent results for aortic stiffness assessment in younger and middle-aged individuals.