Abstract 729: Ultrasound Ultrafast Imaging of the Carotid Artery Pulse Wave Velocity: is the Surrogate of Regional Artery Stiffness?

Abstract

Aims: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death among the worldwide. Increased Arterial stiffness could be a robust predictor for coronary heart disease and stroke. Pulsed wave velocity(PWV) is “the most hallowed and still probably the best” measure of arterial stiffness and closely related to the processing of arteriosclerosis. A new ultrasound-based technique, Ultrasound Ultrafast imaging system own a high frame rate over than 2000 frames per second, and could quickly obtain the PWV propagate along the carotid artery wall. The objective of this paper is to detect the carotid artery PWV of elder subjects in vivo, to determine the feasibility and accuracy to assess artery stiffness by Ultrasound Ultrafast imaging. Methods: Ultrasound Ultrafast imaging was performed to obtain the velocity propagate along the left common carotid arteries of fifty-nine (n = 59) healthy volunteers. Including the PWV at the beginning of the systole and at the ending of the systole( BS PWV, ES PWV), the mean PWV( mPWV) were calculated. E-Tracking technology in measuring artery elasticity modulus (PWVβ)and cardio-ankle vascular index(CAVI) were calculated in all subjects. The correlation between parameters from Ultrafast imaging and elastic modulus from e-tracking, CAVI were analyzed. Indicate artery elasticity and the impact of modifying factors such as BMI, age and hypertension. Results: (1) The success rate of the BS PWV, ES PWV were 94.2% and 90.8%,which required a median overall duration of 73s. (2) BMI, age and hypertension were also positively correlated with mPWV ; mPWV were significant positively correlated with PWVβ and CAVI(r=0.68,P<0.01,r=0.48,P<0.05) (3) The mPWV have a good repeatability and conformity. Interobserver and intraobserver variabilities were 4.2% and 3.6 % respectively. Conclusion: The elasticity of carotid artery is the important components of the global arterial elasticity. The decreased elasticity of carotid artery occurs with the ageing and global artery stiffness increased. The Ultrasound Ultrafast imaging is a reliable method to assess the carotid artery stiffness. The technique provides a new, convenient, accurate method for early detection of local artery elasticity.