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Published on: March 8, 2019
Hemodynamic Correlates of Abnormal Aortic Root Dimension in an Adult Population: The Strong Heart Study
Giovanni de Simone1, Mary J Roman2, Marina De Marco3
1Hypertension Research Center, Federico II University, Naples, Italy (G.S., M.D.M., R.I.) Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy (G.S., M.D.M., R.I.) Department of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, NY (G.S., M.J.R., R.B.D.).
Background:
We evaluated the relationship of aortic root dimension (ARD) with flow output and both peripheral and central blood pressure, using multivariable equations predicting ideal sex-specific ARD at a given age and body height.
Methods And Results:
We measured echocardiographic diastolic ARD at the sinuses of Valsalva in 3160 adults (aged 42±16 years, 61% women) from the fourth examination of the Strong Heart Study who were free of prevalent coronary heart disease, and we compared measured data with the theoretical predicted value to calculate a z score. Central blood pressure was estimated by applanation tonometry of the radial artery in 2319 participants. ARD z scores were divided into tertiles representing small, normal, and large ARD. Participants with large ARD exhibited greater prevalence of central obesity and higher levels of inflammatory markers and lipids (0.05
Conclusions:
Aortic root dilatation is associated with high diastolic blood pressure, high stroke volume, central fat distribution, and inflammatory status. In contrast, at a given diastolic blood pressure and stroke volume, aortic root dilatation is associated with lower pulse pressure and systolic blood pressure.
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The Aorta
The average diameter of the aorta is approximately 2-3 cm, but the size can vary depending on the section of the aorta and the individual's age, sex, and body size. The aorta is...

