Usefulness of colour tissue Doppler imaging in assessing aortic elastic properties in Type 1 diabetic patients

Abstract

Aortic elastic properties can be directly assessed by measuring the movements in the upper aortic wall. Reduced aortic S velocity is associated with increased aortic stiffness in Type 1 diabetic patients.

Assessment of the elasticity properties of the ascending aorta in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism by tissue Doppler imaging

“…Reduced Sao is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with CAD and type-1 DM (14,15), a finding consistent with the results of the current trial. During the cardiac cycle, the wave profile observed in the aortic wall movements has the same shape as the one found for the ventricle parallel to the pressure changes in the aortic lumen, that is, Sao is observed while ventricle contracts, and Eao and Aao occured during ventricular diastole (6,14,15). Another important point is whether Sao derives from the movement of the aorta or myocardial activation.…”

“…In each site, the pulse wave progresses, pressure and blood flow velocity change, and ultimately, aortic wall activities are observed (6,25). Thus, aortic wall movements, which bring about differentiation in the diameter of the proximal aortic lumen, enable us capture images of the changes in aortic elastic properties (14)(15)(16)(17)25). Arterial stiffness index determines the elastic properties of the arterial wall, in a manner relatively independent of blood pressure, and aortic distensibility evaluates the ability of the arteries to dilate during the cardiac cycle, and measures the function of the artery (6,7,25).…”

“…However, these risk factors cannot account for the differences in aortic stiffness obtained in the present study, because the distributions of these parameters were the same for both groups. Also, it is known that DM and HT have an unfavorable effect on arterial stiffness (15,16) and, accordingly, diabetic and hypertensive patients were not recruited in the presented study. Thus, in the current trial, none of these risk factors appeared to influence arterial stiffness.…”

“…Aortic systolic diameter (AoS) was measured at the maximum anterior motion of the aorta, and aortic diastolic diameter (AoD) was measured at the peak of the QRS complex on the recorded electrocardiogram, simultaneously (Figure 1). Distensibility and stiffness index of the ascending aorta were calculated by using the following formulaes (14)(15)(16)(17).…”

“…But the vast majority of these techniques are invasive and time-consuming and may require complex equipment and training. Conventional and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography have been shown to be useful methods in the evaluation of global ventricular functions and elastic properties of the aorta (13)(14)(15)(16)(17). Although increased arterial stiffness index has been formerly shown in various patient groups, including those with CAD, diabetes mellitus (DM), overt hypothyroidism, and SCH on different vascular beds and in different sites such as the radial artery, carotid artery, and aorta (14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), as far as we know, no report has evaluated elastic properties of the ascending aorta by TDI in patients with SCH.…”