Ultrasonic Parametrization of Arterial Wall Movements in Low- and High-Risk CVD Subjects

Monika Makūnaitė,Vytenis Semaška,Alberto Rodríguez-Martínez,Rytis Jurkonis,Karolina Mėlinytė,Rūta Jurgaitienė,Raimondas Kubilius

doi:10.3390/app9030465

Abstract

This paper shows the results of a preliminary study on the performance of new methods based on ultrasonic images parametrization, to estimate the arterial wall movements used for the evaluation of arterial stiffness, considered to be a predictor of cardiovascular events. The well-known technique of motion tracking in ultrasound image sequences was applied on cine loops scanned from subjects with different risks of suffering from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The motion of arterial walls was traced using displacement signals: Diameter, intima-media thickness (IMT) and longitudinal intima-media (IM) complex movement. The new methods used for the parametrization of the displacement signals were the average value (AV), effective or root mean square (RMS) value, and peak-to-peak motion amplitude estimate. A total of 79 subjects were analyzed in the study with 30 considered at low risk and 49 included in a preventive program for monitoring high CVD risk subjects. The results show a statistically significant difference between healthy volunteers and at-risk patients according to the AV of IMT, RMS values of longitudinal and radial motions and peak-to-peak amplitude of radial motion.

Highlights

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of human mortality and morbidity worldwide (WHO, 2017) [1]
The aim of this paper is to evaluate both the motion average (AV) and root mean square (RMS) values for the parameterization of the arterial motion
The Average values (AV) of radial motion and intima-media thickness (IMT) variation can be interpreted as arterial diameter and IMT at equilibrium instants between pulses

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of human mortality and morbidity worldwide (WHO, 2017) [1]. In 2016, 17.9 million people died from CVDs, constituting 31% of all global deaths. Heart attack and stroke make up 85% of these deaths [1] and the number of deaths from CVDs in the world is predicted to reach 23.6 million by 2030 [2]. CVDs are a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels, which can cause myocardial infarction and stroke. They are usually acute events, mainly caused by a blood flow cut-off to the heart or brain, and described as the final stage of atherosclerosis [1,3], which is a systemic and chronic inflammatory disease of the medium and large arteries. Atherosclerosis is a degenerative progress that refers to the buildup over many years of lipids and other blood-borne materials in the arterial walls

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