Study on carotid artery elasticity in elderly patients with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Objective To analyze motion characteristics of the carotid artery wall and to evaluate changes of carotid artery elasticity in elderly patients with metabolic syndrome(MS)by using velocity vector imaging(VVI). Methods A total of 111 elderly patients with metabolic syndrome were continuously enrolled in this prospective study.Patients received a health questionnaire, physical examinations, blood biochemical indexes tests, and carotid artery ultrasound examination.According to carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)and carotid plaques, patients were divided into a group of MS with carotid plaques(n=34), a group of MS without carotid plaques(n=31)and a control group(n=46). Dynamic images of the short axial section at 1 cm from the bifurcation of the right common carotid artery were collected in all cases, and the VVI offline software was used to detect and record the maximum radial velocity(V), maximum tangential strain(S)and maximum tangential strain(SR)of each segment as well as the average V(EV), average S(ES)and average SR(ESR)of the entire vessel. Results IMT was higher in the group of MS with carotid plaques than in the group of MS without carotid plaques and the control group(P<0.01), and there was no statistical difference between the group of MS without carotid plaques and the control group(P<0.05). V, S, SR, EV, ES and ESR in the two MS groups were lower than in the control group.There were statistically significant differences in V, S, SR, EV, ES and ESR between the MS groups(P<0.01). EV was negatively correlated with hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(r=-0.305, -0.625, -0.647 and -0.337, respectively, P<0.01). ES was negatively correlated with hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(r=-0.252, -0.673, -0.528 and -0.273, respectively, P<0.01 or 0.05). ESR was negatively correlated with hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(r=-0.315, -0.697, -0.609 and -0.385, respectively, P<0.01 or 0.05). Conclusions VVI technology can assess the motion characteristics of the carotid artery wall, evaluate changes of carotid artery elasticity earlier than conventional ultrasound in elderly MS patients, and therefore provide a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis. Key words: Metabolic syndrome X; Carotid; Velocity vector imaging