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A Methodological Approach to Non-invasive Assessments of Vascular Function and Morphology
Published on: February 7, 2015
Correlation analysis of structural and functional changes in the carotid artery in patients with H-type hypertension
Hai-Yan Ma1, Xue-Ying Chen2, Hong Jin2
1Department of Ultrasound Imaging, Huangshi Aikang Hospital Affiliated to Hubei Institute of Technology, Huangshi, China.
Insights
H-type hypertension significantly accelerates carotid artery intima changes, including thickness and stiffness, more than simple hypertension. Ultrasound techniques can quantitatively assess these structural and functional alterations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hypertension Research
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Elevated homocysteine levels (H-type hypertension) may exacerbate vascular damage.
- Carotid artery intima changes reflect systemic vascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze structural and functional carotid artery changes in H-type hypertension.
- To compare these changes with simple hypertension and healthy controls.
- To evaluate the utility of ultrasound radiofrequency techniques.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing H-type hypertension (n=30), simple hypertension (n=30), and controls (n=30).
- Plasma homocysteine levels differentiated hypertension groups.
- Ultrasound assessed carotid intima-media thickness (QIMT) and arterial stiffness (CC, β, PWV) using quantitative arterial stiffness (QAS).
Main Results:
- Both hypertension groups showed significantly increased QIMT, β, and PWV, and decreased CC compared to controls (p < .05).
- H-type hypertension group exhibited significantly greater increases in QIMT, β, PWV, and greater decrease in CC compared to the simple hypertension group (p < .05).
Conclusions:
- Hypertension accelerates carotid artery structural and functional changes.
- These changes are more pronounced in H-type hypertension.
- Ultrasound radiofrequency techniques provide quantitative assessment of carotid artery changes in H-type hypertension.
Objectives:
To perform a correlation analysis on the structural and functional changes of the carotid artery in patients with H-type hypertension.
Methods:
Outpatients and inpatients with hypertension in our hospital between 2017 and 2018 were selected and divided into the H-type hypertension group (primary hypertension + plasma homocysteine ≥ 10 umol/l) (n = 30) and the simple hypertension group (primary hypertension + plasma Hcy < 10 umol/l) (n = 30) based on the plasma homocysteine (Hcy), and 30 healthy people were included in the control group. Thickness and stiffness parameters of the intima of the carotid artery (compliance coefficient [CC], stiffness index [β], and pulse wave velocity [PWV]) were measured for all study participants using ultrasound radiofrequency signal-based quality intima-media thickness (QIMT) and quantitative arterial stiffness (QAS) for contrast analysis.
Results:
Indexes such as QIMT, β, and PWV of the carotid artery were significantly higher, and the CC was significantly lower in the H-type hypertension group and simple hypertension group than the control group (p < .05), and the difference was statistically significant; these indexes were significantly higher in the H-type hypertension group than in the simple hypertension group, and the CC was significantly lower than in the control group (p < .05), and the difference was statistically significant.
Conclusions:
Hypertension can accelerate structural and functional changes of the carotid artery intima, with these changes being more significant in H-type hypertension. The ultrasound radiofrequency technique can be used to quantitatively evaluate the structure and function of the carotid artery in patients with H-type hypertension.
