Key result
Patients with a high risk of arteriosclerosis had significantly reduced thoracic descending aorta distensibility (-4.6 vs -11.7, p<0.001) and recoil (6.8 vs 20.5, p<0.001) compared to controls without risk factors.
Why the study?
Does thoracic descending aorta stiffness assessed by TEE strain-rate measurement correlate with left ventricular diastolic function?
Cross-Sectional (n=60)
No
Does thoracic descending aorta stiffness assessed by TEE strain-rate measurement correlate with left ventricular diastolic function?
Strain-rate measurements with TEE can effectively evaluate thoracic descending aorta stiffness, which correlates with LV diastolic function, highlighting arterial-ventricular interactions.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Association in cross-sectional data is hypothesis-generating; leaves open whether TEE aortic recoil assessment informs LV diastolic evaluation.
Arterial stiffening may contribute to secondary myocardial dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess the stiffness of the thoracic descending aorta (TDA) by performing strain-rate measurements with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and to examine the relation of the findings to left ventricular (LV) function. Eight patients (group I) without risk factors for arteriosclerosis and 52 patients (group II) with a high risk of arteriosclerosis underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and TEE simultaneously. The values of distensibility of the TDA (-SR) in groups I and II were -11.7 +/- 2.4 and -4.6 +/- 2.5, respectively (p<0.001), and the values of the recoil of the TDA (+SR) were 20.5 +/- 8.2 and 6.8 +/- 5.0, respectively (p<0.001). The LV ejection fraction showed no relation with -SR or +SR, but LV diastolic function (e' and E/e') was correlated with +SR (p=0.002 and p=0.046, respectively). Strain-rate measurements obtained with TEE were useful for evaluating impairment of the elastic properties of the TDA and the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the arterial-ventricular relationship.
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Honma et al. (2010) conducted a cross-sectional in Arteriosclerosis risk (n=60). High risk of arteriosclerosis vs. No risk factors for arteriosclerosis was evaluated on Distensibility of the thoracic descending aorta (-SR) (p=<0.001). Patients with a high risk of arteriosclerosis had significantly reduced thoracic descending aorta distensibility (-4.6 vs -11.7, p<0.001) and recoil (6.8 vs 20.5, p<0.001) compared to controls without risk factors.
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