Relation of Aortic Wall Thickness and Distensibility to Cardiovascular Risk Factors (From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis MESA)

摘要

To determine the relationship between aortic wall thickness (WT) and distensibility with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort; 1053 participants of the MESA study with cardiac MRI were consecutively selected for measurement of aortic wall thickness and distensibility. Double inversion recovery fast spin echo images of the thoracic aorta were obtained to measure average and maximum WT. Aortic distensibility (AD) was measured at the same level using a gradient echo cine sequence. Both average and maximum WT were positively correlated with increasing age, and AD was inversely related to age (p<0.01). Compared to normotensive participants, those with hypertension had significantly greater mean average WT (2.45 mm vs. 2.23 mm, p<0.01), maximum WT (3.61 mm vs. 3.41 mm, p<0.01) and lower AD (0.15 vs. 0.2 mm Hg⁻¹, p<0.01), respectively. In multiple regression analysis, older age and hypertension were significantly associated with higher mean average WT, while older age, male gender, and higher blood pressure were associated with higher mean maximum WT. AD was inversely related to older age, hypertension, current smoker status, African-American ethnicity and lower HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels. In conclusion, in the MESA cohort, older age and higher blood pressure were associated with higher aortic wall thickness and lower aortic distensibilility. Decreased aortic distensibility was further associated with current smoking, African American ethnicity and higher HDL-c levels.