Quantifying carotid stiffness in a pre-hypertensive population with ultrafast ultrasound imaging
- Author:
Xuehui MA
1
;
Zhengqiu ZHU
;
Yinping WANG
;
Bixiao SHEN
;
Xuezhong JIANG
;
Wenjun LIU
;
Yiyun WU
;
Chong ZOU
;
Yun LUAN
;
Hui GAO
;
Hui HUANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:1
- From: Ultrasonography 2023;42(1):89-99
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Purpose:The aim of this study was to assess carotid stiffening in a pre-hypertensive (PHT) population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV).
Methods:This study retrospectively enrolled 626 individuals who underwent clinical interviews, serum tests, and assessments of the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity-beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and pulse wave velocity-end of systole (PWV-ES) between January 2017 and December 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their blood pressure (BP)—normal BP (NBP): SBP <130 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg (n=215); PHT: 130 mmHg≤SBP<140 mmHg and/or 80 mmHg≤DBP<90 mmHg (n=119); hypertensive (HT): SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg (n=292). Correlation analyses and comparisons were performed among the groups and in the cIMT subgroups (cIMT ≥0.050 cm and <0.050 cm).
Results:cIMT and PWV-ES significantly differed among the BP groups (P<0.05). The BP groups had similar PWV-BS when cIMT <0.050 cm or cIMT ≥0.050 cm (all P>0.05). However, the NBP group had a notably lower PWV-ES than the PHT (P<0.001 and P=0.024) and HT (all P<0.001) groups in both cIMT categories, while the PWV-ES in the PHT group were not significantly lower than in the HT group (all P>0.05).
Conclusion:Carotid morphological and biomechanical properties in the PHT group differed from those in the NBP group. ufPWV could be used for an early evaluation of carotid stiffening linked to pre-hypertension.
