Relationship between carotid artery intima-media thickness and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation in peritoneal
1Department of Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Kampus, 07070 Antalya, Turkey. hkocak@akdeniz.edu.tr
Insights
In peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) was higher and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation percentage (FMD%) was lower compared to controls. However, no significant correlation was found between CIMT and FMD% in PD patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Nephrology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Subclinical atherosclerosis detection commonly uses carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation percentage (FMD%).
- Conflicting results exist regarding the relationship between CIMT and FMD% across diverse populations.
- Peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients often exhibit impaired endothelial function and increased CIMT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between CIMT and brachial artery FMD% in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD).
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two PD patients and 30 age-gender matched controls were enrolled.
- Brachial artery FMD% was measured using ultrasonography to assess endothelial function.
- Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured by ultrasonography.
Main Results:
- PD patients had significantly higher CIMT (0.84 ± 0.08 mm) compared to controls (0.75 ± 0.06 mm, P < 0.01).
- Brachial artery FMD% was significantly lower in PD patients (8.2 ± 5.0%) than in controls (11.7 ± 5.5%, P < 0.01).
- No significant correlation was observed between CIMT and FMD% in the PD cohort (r = -0.004, P = 0.94).
Conclusions:
- Despite known endothelial dysfunction and increased CIMT in PD patients, a significant correlation between FMD% and CIMT was not found.
- This suggests that CIMT and FMD% may represent different facets or stages of atherosclerotic development.
- Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay of vascular parameters in PD patients.
Background And Aim:
Carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation percentage (FMD%) are two commonly used parameters for detecting subclinical atherosclerosis. However, studies investigating the relationship between CIMT and brachial artery FMD% in different populations have produced conflicting results. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between CIMT and brachial artery FMD% in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) METHODS: Fifty-two PD patients without known cardiovascular disease and 30 age-gender matched controls were included in the study. Endothelial function was determined using ultrasonography (US) to measure the FMD of the brachial artery, and this parameter was expressed as the percentage change from the baseline diameter of the brachial artery (FMD%). We also measured CIMT by US and analysed the relationship between CIMT and brachial FMD%.
Results:
The CIMT was significantly higher in patients than in the control group (0.84 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.75 +/- 0.06 mm, P < 0.01), whereas brachial artery FMD% was lower in patients than in the controls (8.2 +/- 5.0 vs. 11.7 +/- 5.5%, P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between CIMT and FMD% (r = -0.004, P = 0.94).
Conclusion:
Although PD patients are known to be characterized by an impaired flow-mediated vasodilatation of brachial artery and increased in CIMT, we did not find a significant correlation between FMD% and CIMT in our PD patient cohort. One possible explanation for our results is that each method measures a different aspect and stage of atherosclerosis.
