Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
06:08
Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Published on: February 7, 2014
Quantitative assessment of aortic elasticity with aging using velocity-vector imaging and its histologic correlation
Sung-Ai Kim1, Kyung Hye Lee, Ho-Yeon Won
1Division of Cardiology, Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
|April 13, 2013
Summary
Velocity-vector imaging (VVI) noninvasively quantifies vascular aging. VVI parameters correlated significantly with histological changes in canine aortas, showing its feasibility for assessing aortic elastic properties.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular research
- Biomedical engineering
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging leads to vascular changes.
- Noninvasive methods are needed to assess vascular aging.
- Velocity-vector imaging (VVI) is a novel technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate VVI parameters with histological changes in aging aortas.
- To evaluate VVI's utility in quantifying vascular aging.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen dogs (young and senescent) underwent transesophageal echocardiography for VVI.
- Aortic tissue was extracted and analyzed for collagen and elastin content.
- VVI-derived parameters were correlated with histological findings.
Main Results:
- Senescent dogs showed a more dilated and stiffer aorta via VVI.
- Fractional area change correlated with aortic collagen content.
- VVI-derived radial velocity and circumferential strain were reduced in senescent dogs and associated with collagen content.
Conclusions:
- VVI is a feasible method for quantifying aortic elastic properties.
- VVI parameters show significant correlation with histological changes in aging aortas.
