associations among different functional and structural arterial wall properties and their relations to traditional cardiovascular risk factors in healthy subjects a cross-sectional study不同功能和结构之间的关联动脉壁属性及其关系与传统心血管危险因素在健康受试者的横断面研究.pdfVIP

Lunder et al. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2012, 12:29 /1471-2261/12/29 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Associations among different functional and structural arterial wall properties and their relations to traditional cardiovascular risk factors in healthy subjects: a cross-sectional study 1,2* 1 3 1 Mojca Lunder , Miodrag Janic , Natasa Kejzar and Miso Sabovic Abstract Background: The arterial wall possesses several functional and structural properties that define arterial health. Once they become impaired, cardiovascular risk increases. We aimed to ascertain the pattern of correlations among different arterial wall properties and to explore their relations to traditional risk factors and cardiovascular risk stratification. To allow such an investigation a middle-aged healthy population was recruited. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 healthy males (aged 41.9 ± 6.4 years). Pulse wave velocity (PWV), β-stiffness and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) were measured by a standardized ultrasound approach. Results: No correlation between FMD and IMT was found; only relatively poor correlations between PWV (or β- stiffness) and FMD existed, as well as between PWV (or β-stiffness) and IMT. PWV and β-stiffness highly correlated. Unexpectedly, only weak associations between PWV, β-stiffness, FMD, IMT and traditional risk factors were revealed. Hence, traditional risk factors (mainly age) explained only 10-50% of variability for PWV, β-stiffness, FMD and IMT. Although the subjects had low cardiovascular risk according to their Framingham score, their arterial wall properties were already impaired, particularly FMD. Conclusions: In healthy middle-age