Cardiology Letters 2013, 22(1):20-27

Effect of blood pressure on carotid stiffness and ventricular-arterial coupling

Škultétyová D¹, Filipová S^1,2, Chňupa P¹

¹ Kardiologická klinika Národný ústav srdcových a cievnych chorôb

² Lekárská fakulta Slovenskej zdravotníckej univerzita v Bratislave, Slovenská republika

Ultrasonography combined with echo-tracking system on common carotid artery (CCA) allows analysis of local arterial stiffness and the ventricular-arterial coupling using wave intensity analysis (WI). The aim of the study was: 1) to compare the parameters of carotid stiffness (CT) and WI in the hypertensive group (AH group) and in the control group (C group); 2) to analyse the relationships between office systolic blood pressure (BP), office pulse pressure (PP) and the parameters of CT and WI; 3) to analyse the relationships of systolic BP and PP (24-hour BP monitoring, ABPM) with the parameters of CT and WI.

Results: The stiffness parameters on CCA dx were significantly higher in the AH group (mean stiffness index β AH group: β=9±4, C group: β=6.9±2.8, p<0.01; index elasticity, Ep, AH group: Ep=144±79 kPa, C group: Ep=101.5±42kPa, p<0.001; pulse wave velocity, PWV, AH group: PWV=7.2±1.5m/s, C group: PWV=6.1m/s, p<0.001). Statistically significant correlations between office systolic BP and office PP and the stiffness parameters in both groups were obtained. Office PP correlated with the peak W1 and negative area (NA), as well. In the AH group systolic BP (ABPM) during daytime and night-time correlated with the peak W1. Similarly, PP (ABPM) during daytime and night-time correlated with the peak W1. Systolic BP (ABPM) during the daytime correlated with the NA. PP (ABPM) during the night-time was related to the time of left ventricular ejection (W1-W2).

Conclusion: The stiffness parameters were significantly elevated in the hypertensive subjects. The relationships between BP and the parameters of CT, WI may reflect the effect of BP on forward and backward travelling waves and the interaction of heart-arteries and ventricular-arterial coupling.

Keywords: hypertension; ultrasonography; echo-tracking; arterial stiffness; carotid stiffness; ventricular-arterial coupling

Published: January 1, 2013  Show citation