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Noninvasive physiological assessment of vascular wall sclerosis using carotid pulse tracing and cine magnetic
T Honda1, M Hamada, Y Matsumoto
1Internal Medicine Department, Ehime Prefectural Iyomishima Hospital, Japan.
Insights
Carotid pulse tracing effectively assesses ascending aortic wall sclerosis. Key measurements like the A2-DN interval and b/a ratio correlate with aortic distensibility in healthy volunteers.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular imaging and diagnostics
- Vascular physiology
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Vascular wall sclerosis, or stiffening, is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
- Assessing ascending aortic distensibility is crucial for understanding vascular aging and disease.
- Non-invasive methods for evaluating aortic wall properties are highly sought after.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of carotid pulse tracing parameters in assessing ascending aortic wall sclerosis.
- To compare carotid pulse tracing measurements with ascending aortic distensibility determined by cine magnetic resonance (MR).
Main Methods:
- Twenty healthy volunteers underwent cine MR and carotid pulse tracing.
- Measured parameters included the aortic second heart sound to dicrotic notch interval (A2-DN) and the b/a ratio from carotid pulse tracing.
- Ascending aortic distensibility was calculated using cine MR imaging data.
Main Results:
- Significant positive correlations were found between the A2-DN interval and ascending aortic distensibility (r = 0.70).
- A significant positive correlation was also observed between the b/a ratio and ascending aortic distensibility (r = 0.63).
Conclusions:
- Carotid pulse tracing, specifically the A2-DN interval and b/a ratio, provides a useful, non-invasive method for assessing ascending aortic wall sclerosis.
- These findings suggest that carotid pulse tracing can be a valuable tool in clinical settings for evaluating aortic stiffness.
Abstract:
In order to evaluate vascular wall sclerosis, the authors compared parameters of carotid pulse tracing with ascending aortic wall distensibility by using cine magnetic resonance (MR). Cine MR and carotid pulse tracing were performed in 20 healthy volunteers (mean age fifty-six years). They measured the interval from aortic second heart sound (A2) to the dicrotic notch (DN) (A2-DN interval), and the height from dicrotic notch to top/total height of carotid pulse tracing (b/a ratio). Ascending aortic distensibility was calculated from the following formula: max area - min area/min area x pulse pressure. There were significant positive correlations (r = 0.70) between the A2-DN interval and ascending aortic distensibility and between b/a ratio and ascending aortic distensibility (r = 0.63). The measurement of A2-DN interval and b/a ratio using carotid pulse tracing is a useful method for assessing ascending aortic wall sclerosis.