Quantitative evaluation of the structure and function of the common carotid artery in hypertriglyceridemic subjects...

Assessment of the properties of blood-vessel walls by ultrasound radiofrequency (RF)-data technology is an innovative technique. We quantitatively evaluated the intima-media thickness (IMT) and arterial elasticity of the common carotid artery (CCA) in asymptomatic subjects with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) using RF-data technology. Thirty HTG subjects and 30 matched controls were enrolled in the study. The common carotid arterial systolic diameter, diastolic diameter, IMT, carotid distensibility (CD), local pulse wave velocity (PWVβ), and stiffness (β) were compared between the two groups, as was the correlation between triglyceride level and the parameters mentioned above. The HTG group had significantly higher values of CCA-IMT compared with the control group (p<0.001). There were significant differences between the HTG group and controls in terms of higher values of PWVβ and β, and lower values of CD (all p<0.05). No difference was observed in terms of the systolic and diastolic diameter of the CCA (p>0.05). The level of triglycerides had significant positive correlations with CCA-IMT (r=0.493, p<0.001), whereas significant correlations with CD, PWVβ, and β were not observed in the HTG group. Ultrasound RF-data technology can be used to non-invasively and quantitatively detect the change in the structure and function of the CCA in asymptomatic HTG subjects for evaluating preclinical atherosclerosis.