Evaluation of arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with Behçet’s disease without cardiovascular involvement

Abstract

Findings suggest that endothelial function is impaired in cases of BD before visible structural changes to arterial wall. PWV is more useful measurement than CIMT in determination of vascular damage in BD, especially in early stage of disease duration.

Increased Arterial Stiffness Measured By Carotid Femoral (Aortic) Pulse Wave Velocity In Patients with Inactive Behçet’s Disease

“…Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), which characterizes endothelial function, is also impaired in BD according to a meta-analysis of Merashli et al [22]. Study of 30 patients showed that PWV measurement might be more useful than cIMT in determination of vascular damage in BD, especially in early stages of disease [23]. Celik et al measured the arterial stiffness by calculating the augmentation index (AIx), which was positively correlated with the PWV [24].…”

Relationship between serum homocysteine levels and structural-functional carotid arterial abnormalities in inactive Behçet’s disease

“…Several research groups have reported findings of significantly higher C-IMT in BD patients as compared to healthy controls [22,23]; however, other groups have reported the opposite (i.e. no significant difference in C-IMT of BD patients and healthy controls) [5,9,24]. However, Merashli et al [2] reported that the increased C-IMT observed in patients was statistically valid and the discrepant findings probably reflect the real-life clinical heterogeneity of BD.…”