ASSOCIATION OF CAROTID ARTERIAL DISTENSIBILITY WITH DOPPLER INDEXES OF LEFT-VENTRICULAR FILLING IN 50-YEAR-OLD SUBJECTS

Doppler indices of left ventricular diastolic filling are associated w ith various cardiac and extracardiac factors. Afterload is one of the extracardiac factors influencing left ventricular diastolic filling. T he distensibility of the great arteries is one of the components of af terload. In this study, the relation between Doppler indices of left v entricular filling and the distensibility of the common carotid arteri es was investigated. We studied 237 subjects at 50 years of age with D oppler echocardiography and ultrasound examination of the common carot id arteries. The following Doppler indices of left ventricular filling were studied: peak early diastolic velocity E-wave, peak atrial diast olic velocity A-wave and early to atrial peak velocity ratio, E/A. Car otid arterial characteristics were: distensibility coefficient, caroti d arterial diameter change in systole and fractional change in the car otid arterial diameter. The relation between Doppler indices of left v entricular filling and carotid arterial characteristics was assessed b y univariate and multivariate regression analysis. There was a signifi cant univariate, positive association between EIA ratio and carotid ar terial distensibility (r=0.27, P<0.001), carotid arterial systolic dia meter change (r=0.19, P<0.005) and fractional change of the carotid ar terial diameter (r=0.20, P<0.005). In multivariate analysis, E/A ratio was independently associated with carotid arterial distensibility (P< 0.005), after adjusting for heart rate, body mass index and gender. De creased carotid arterial distensibility was associated with a reductio n in EIA ratio, suggesting that arterial distensibility may have an ef fect on left ventricular diastolic filling or that changes in the arte rial elastic properties are associated with corresponding structural c hanges in the left ventricle.