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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Correlation Between Aortic Root Elastic Properties and Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients With Chronic Kidney
Jamshid Najafian1, Salman Khami, Mortaza Abdar Esfahani
1Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. jamshid_najafian@yahoo.com.
Insights
Aortic stiffness is common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. However, this study found no direct link between kidney function (GFR) and aortic stiffness in CKD stages 3-4.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Nephrology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Aortic root stiffness is prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.
- This condition is independently associated with increased mortality and morbidity in CKD.
- Understanding the relationship between kidney function and aortic stiffness is crucial for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and aortic root elastic properties in CKD patients.
- To assess aortic distensibility and stiffness index using echocardiography.
- To determine if GFR level correlates with aortic root stiffness in stages 3 and 4 CKD.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-two patients with CKD stages 3-4 underwent echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging.
- Aortic distensibility and stiffness index were calculated using M-mode echocardiography and blood pressure.
- Systolic wave velocity was measured in the upper and lower aortic walls.
Main Results:
- All patients exhibited severely impaired aortic stiffness index and distensibility.
- No significant correlation was found between GFR and aortic distensibility (r = -0.253, P = .20).
- No significant correlation was found between GFR and aortic root stiffness index (r = 0.193, P = .09).
Conclusions:
- Aortic stiffness is a common finding in patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD.
- No direct relationship was identified between GFR and aortic root stiffness.
- Aortic root stiffness in CKD may be attributed to factors like hypertension and other comorbidities.
Introduction:
Aortic root stiffness is a highly prevalent condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which independently associates with increased risk of mortality and morbidity in this group. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) level as a marker of kidney function and elastic properties of aortic root obtained with echocardiography.
Methods And Materials:
Eighty-two patients (53 men and 29 women; mean age, 57.9 ± 15.0 years) with CKD stages 3 and 4 were enrolled in this study. Echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging of the upper and lower aortic walls were done. Systolic wave (S wave) was obtained from each walls. Aortic distensibility and aortic root stiffness index were calculated using blood pressure measurement and aortic dimensions in systole and diastole by M-mode echocardiography.
Results:
In all of the patients, aortic stiffness index (14.24 ± 9.82), aortic distensibility (0.018 ± 0.015), aortic upper wall S velocity (0.10 ± 0.03), and aortic lower wall S velocity (0.08 ± 0.02) were severely impaired. There was no correlation between GFR and aortic distensibility (r = -0.253, P = .20), aortic root stiffness index (r = 0.193, P = .09), aortic upper wall S velocity (r = -0.106, P = .17), and aortic lower wall S velocity (r = -0.150, P = .09).
Conclusions:
Aortic stiffness was seen in all patients with kidney failure in stage 3 or 4 of CKD; however, we could not find any direct relationship between GFR and this phenomenon. Thus, aortic root stiffness may be a consequence of hypertension and other risk factors.
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