STIFFNESS AND DIAMETER OF THE COMMON CAROTID-ARTERY AND ABDOMINAL-AORTA IN WOMEN

Vascular disease is differentiated throughout the vascular regions wit h aorta more prone to dilatation and with peripheral arteries more pro ne to occlusive disease, In this study, we investigated the diameter a nd distensibility in the common carotid artery (CCA) and abdominal aor ta (AO) in healthy females of varying ages to assess potential differe nces in the aging process, The diameter and pulsatile diameter change of the CCA and AO in 66 healthy Caucasian females aged 8 to 79 y were examined using an ultrasound phase-locked echo-tracking technique, Blo od pressure was obtained by the auscultatory method, Arterial stiffnes s (beta) was calculated, The diameter of both CCA and AO increases, no t only in childhood, but also in adult women, The dilatation in adults (:25 to 75 y) seems to be more pronounced in the AO (23%) than in the CCA (11%), Stiffness (beta) is higher in the CCA than AO before 20 y of age (p < 0.05), Stiffness increases with aging in both arterial reg ions, but the increase is initially somewhat higher in the AO, which m eans that no differences between the CCA and AO are seen from 25 y onw ard, In conclusion, this study demonstrates regional differences in di ameter change and stiffness in the CCA and AO, and implies that the AO is more prone to age-related changes of the arterial wall than the CC A, These differences, however, are not as marked as previously reporte d in males, (C) 1997 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Bio logy.