Structural, functional, and hemodynamic changes of the common carotid artery with age in male subjects

Aging of the common carotid artery (CCA) is associated with different princ ipal structural, functional, and hemodynamic changes, which are often influ enced by several atherosclerotic risk factors, so that it is difficult to e stimate the exclusive effect of aging on this process. Studies dealing with vascular aging of the CCA usually assess only single, dimensional, or func tional parameters, although it is likely that there are interactions and pr obably differences between them. Moreover, regional vascular blood flow cha racteristics are often not taken into consideration. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the age-related multiparametric changes of the CCA properties with ultrasound in 69 male subjects between the ages of 16 and 7 5 (42.4+/-16.5 years:), who were screened for the absence of major atherosc lerotic risk factors or existing vascular disease. As a result, the intima media thickness (0.052 mm/10 y) and diastolic diameter (0.17 mm/10 y) incre ased nearly linearly with age (r = 0.60, P<0.001; ana r=0.46, P<0.001, resp ectively). The absolute diastolic/systolic diameter change diminished by 0. 10 mm/10 y (r=-0.73, P<0.001) and peak expansion velocity dropped by 0.12 c m/s per 10 years (r=-0.62, P<0.001) highly significantly with age. The peak bloodflow velocity decreased continuously with age (r=-0.67, P<0.00) by 9. 3 cm/s per 10 years. According to multiple regression analysis, peak blood flow velocity seems to reflect the changes of several structural and functi onal parameters in one; intima-media thickness was determined by diastolic arterial diameter and age as independent variables. The data indicate that a multiparametric assessment may contribute to a better understanding of va scular aging and might be the basis for further studies to evaluate the ass ociation of atherosclerotic risk factors and/or major vascular disease with local changes in the CCA.