Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Suggestion for a new image-based aortic wall stiffness evaluation technique: arterial wall stiffness index

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study evaluated arterial wall stiffness independent of variant background blood pressure. A new technique—arterial wall stiffness index (AWSI)—was developed and its use verified. Intraluminal pressure and luminal volume were measured on eight swine descending aortas. AWSI was formulated to evaluate absolute arterial wall stiffness independent of variable blood pressure and aortic size. AWSI variability with pressure change was compared with other wall stiffness evaluation parameters. AWSI determined from 100 descending aortic cine CT images and 108 carotid artery ultrasonography datasets were compared with age and Framingham risk score, respectively. Between 50 and 360 mmHg blood pressures, AWSI variance was 5.43% compared to 64.99% for classical compliance. AWSI correlated better with Framingham risk score and age than conservative wall stiffness evaluation methods. AWSI is a suitable method to evaluate arterial wall properties independent of variable background blood pressure and aortic size effects.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Safar ME, Levy BI, Laurent S et al (1990) Hypertension and the arterial system: clinical and therapeutic aspects. J Hypertens Suppl 8(7):S113–S119

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Bader H (1983) Importance of the gerontology of elastic arteries in the development of essential hypertension. Clin Physiol Biochem 1(1):36–56

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Wilmer WN, Michael F (1990) Properties of the arterial wall. In: Nichols WW, O’Rourke MF (eds) McDonald’s blood flow in arteries. Edward Arnold, London, pp 77–114

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wada T, Kodaira K, Fujishiro K et al (1994) Correlation of ultrasound-measured common carotid artery stiffness with pathological findings. Arterioscler Thromb 14(3):479–482

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mohiaddin RH, Underwood SR, Bogren HG et al (1989) Regional aortic compliance studied by magnetic resonance imaging: the effects of age, training, and coronary artery disease. Br Heart J 62(2):90–96. doi:10.1136/hrt.62.2.90

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Selzer RH, Mack WJ, Lee PL et al (2001) Improved common carotid elasticity and intima-media thickness measurements from computer analysis of sequential ultrasound frames. Atherosclerosis 154(1):185–193. doi:10.1016/S0021-9150(00)00461-5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Takahashi M, Murata K, Mori M et al (1992) Evaluation of arterial distensibility using cine MR imaging. Nippon Igaku Hoshasen Gakkai Zasshi 52(7):921–927

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Benetos A, Adamopoulos C, Bureau JM et al (2002) Determinants of accelerated progression of arterial stiffness in normotensive subjects and in treated hypertensive subjects over a 6 year period. Circulation 105(10):1202–1207. doi:10.1161/hc1002.105135

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. O’Rourke MF, Staessen JA, Viachopoulos C et al (2002) Clinical applications of arterial stiffness; definitions and reference values. Am J Hypertens 15(5):426–444. doi:10.1016/S0895-7061(01)02319-6

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Kuecherer HF, Just A, Kirchheim H (2000) Evaluation of aortic compliance in humans. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 278(5):H1411–H1413

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Cockcroft JR, Wilkinson IB (2002) Arterial stiffness and pulse contour analysis: an age old concept revisited. Clin Sci (Lond) 103(4):379–380

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kaibe M, Ohishi M, Komai N et al (2002) Arterial stiffness index: a new evaluation for arterial stiffness in elderly patients with essential hypertension. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2(4):199–205. doi:10.1046/j.1444-1586.2002.00045.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Nichols WW (1990) Properties of the arterial wall. In: Nichols WW, O’Rourke MF (eds) McDonald’s blood flow in arteries. Edward Arnold, London, p 96

    Google Scholar 

  14. Nollen GJ, Westerhof BE, Groenink M et al (2004) Aortic pressure-area relation in Marfan patients with and without beta blocking agents: a new non-invasive approach. Heart 90(3):314–318. doi:10.1136/hrt.2003.010702

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Frank O (1926) Die theorie der pulswellen. Z Biol 85:91–130

    Google Scholar 

  16. Goldwyn RM, Watt TB (1967) Arterial pressure pulse contour analysis via a mathematical model for the clinical quantification of human vascular properties. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 14:11–17. doi:10.1109/TBME.1967.4502455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Randall OS, Esler MD, Calfee RV et al (1976) Arterial compliance in hypertension. Aust N Z J Med 2:49–59

    Google Scholar 

  18. Amar J, Ruidavets JB, Chamontin B et al (2001) Arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk factors in a population-based study. J Hypertens 19(3):381–387. doi:10.1097/00004872-200103000-00005

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kelly R, Hayward C, Avolio A et al (1989) Noninvasive determination of age-related changes in the human arterial pulse. Circulation 80(6):1652–1659

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Bank AJ, Wilson RF, Kubo SH et al (1995) Direct effects of smooth muscle relaxation and contraction on in vivo human brachial artery elastic properties. Circ Res 77(5):1008–1016

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bussy C, Boutouyrie P, Lacolley P et al (2000) Intrinsic stiffness of the carotid arterial wall material in essential hypertensives. Hypertension 35:1049–1054

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Drzewiecki G, Field S, Moubarak I et al (1997) Vessel growth and collapsible pressure-area relationship. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 273:H2030–H2043

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Erbel R, Alfonso F, Boileau C et al (2001) Diagnosis and management of aortic dissection. Eur Heart J 22(18):1642–1681. doi:10.1053/euhj.2001.2782

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hansmann HJ, Dobert N, Kucherer H et al (2000) Various spiral CT protocols and their significance in the diagnosis of aortic dissections: results of a prospective study. Rofo 172(11):879–887

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Boese JM, Bock M, Schoenberg SO et al (2000) Estimation of aortic compliance using magnetic resonance pulse wave velocity measurement. Phys Med Biol 45(6):1703–1713. doi:10.1088/0031-9155/45/6/320

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Bock M, Schad LR, Muller E et al (1995) Pulsewave velocity measurement using a new real-time MR-method. Magn Reson Imaging 13(1):21–29. doi:10.1016/0730-725X(94)00077-G

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Long A, Rouet L, Bissery A et al (2004) Compliance of abdominal aortic aneurysms: evaluation of tissue Doppler imaging. Ultrasound Med Biol 30(9):1099–1108. doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2004.08.007

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hoeks AP, Ruissen CJ, Hick P, Reneman RS (1985) Transcutaneous detection of relative changes in artery diameter. Ultrasound Med Biol 11(1):51–59. doi:10.1016/0301-5629(85)90007-9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

“This research was supported by the MKE (The Ministry of Knowledge Economy), Korea, under the ITRC(Information Technology Research Center) support program supervised by the IITA(Institute for Information Technology Advancement)” (IITA-2008-C1090-0804-0004)

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea

    Jeehye Seo & Dongho Choi

  2. Univ.-Klinik f. Radiologie, LKH-Universitaetskliniken GRAZ, Graz, Austria

    Rainer Rienmueller

  3. Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 50, Sam-Duk 2 Ga, Jung Gu, Daegu, 700-721, Republic of Korea

    Jae Gwang Lim & Jongmin Lee

  4. Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea

    Yongmin Chang

Authors
  1. Jeehye Seo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dongho Choi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rainer Rienmueller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jae Gwang Lim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yongmin Chang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jongmin Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jongmin Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seo, J., Choi, D., Rienmueller, R. et al. Suggestion for a new image-based aortic wall stiffness evaluation technique: arterial wall stiffness index. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 25 (Suppl 1), 83–94 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-008-9413-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-008-9413-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation