Carotid and brachial intima-media thickness, arterial diameter and resistivity indices in aortic regurgitation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate signs of atherosclerosis in carotid and brachial arteries in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sonograms of 33 patients (24 M and 9 F, 16-67 years old) with pure AR and 20 control subjects (15 M and 5 F, 19-49 years old) were evaluated. Patients with AR and control subjects completed a questionnaire with SMART risk score based on pre-existing vascular disease and risk factors. AR patients and control subjects were assessed for intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery (CCA), IMT of brachial artery (BA), CCA diameter, and resistivity index (RI) of CCA and RI of internal carotid artery (ICA).

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the cardiovascular risk score between the patients with AR and control subjects. All measured parameters were statistically significantly greater in AR patients than in control subjects with P values 0.0233 for CCA IMT, 0.0034 for BA IMT, 0.0429 for CCA diameter, <0.0001 for CCA RI, and 0.0002 for ICA RI.

CONCLUSION: AR is associated with signs generally considered to represent atherosclerosis, such as increased CCA and BA IMT, CCA diameter, and CCA and ICA RI.