The Effect of Nitroglycerin on Arterial Stiffness of the Aorta and the Femoral-Tibial Arteries

摘要

>Aim: The effect of nitroglycerin on proper arterial stiffness of the arterial tree has not been fully clarified. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which is an application of the stiffness parameter β theory on the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle, was developed recently. Furthermore, the stiffness of the aorta (heart-thigh β (htBeta)) and of the femoral-tibial arteries (thigh to ankle β (taBeta)) could be monitored by applying the same theory. The effects of nitroglycerin on CAVI, htBeta, and taBeta were studied comparing the values of healthy people and those of arteriosclerotic patients.>Methods: The subjects were healthy people (CAVI < 7.5, n = 25) and arteriosclerotic patients (CAVI > 9, n = 25). Nitroglycerin (0.3 mg) was administrated sublingually, and various arterial stiffness indices were measured at one-minute intervals for a period of 20 minutes using Vasera VS-1500 (Fukuda Denshi, Tokyo).>Results: After the administration of nitroglycerin in healthy people, CAVI decreased significantly after 5 min. [from 6.76(6.32–7.27) to 5.50(4.70–6.21), P < 0.05], and recovered after 15 min. htBeta [from 5.10(4.76–5.76) to 3.96(3.35–4.79), P < 0.05], and taBeta [from 14.41(10.80–16.33) to 10.72 (9.19–13.01), P < 0.05] also decreased significantly. In arteriosclerotic patients, CAVI decreased after 5 min. [from 10.47(9.67–11.29) to 9.71(8.74–10.57), P < 0.05] and recovered after 15 min. htBeta did not significantly change [from 12.00(11.46–13.21) to 11.81(10.14–13.83), ns], but taBeta decreased significantly [from 18.55(12.93–23.42) to 12.37(9.68–16.99), P < 0.05].>Conclusion: These results indicate that a nitroglycerin-induced decrease of arterial stiffness is more prominent in muscular arteries than in elastic arteries, and this effect was preserved much more prominently in arteriosclerotic patients than in healthy people.