Quantitative Study On The Common Carotid Arterial Structure And Elastic Function Using Ultrasound Radiofrequency Data Technology

Part One Noninvasive evaluation of common carotid artery in normal adults using ultrasound radiofrequency data technologyObjective: Ultrasound radiofrequency data technology included Quality Intima-media Thickness(QIMT)and Quality Arterial Stiffness(QAS)techniques.To noninvasively evaluate the changes of the vascular intima-media thickness and elastic function of the common carotid artery(CCA)in normal adults in relation to different age and gender using QIMT and QAS techniques,to produce reference values for potential clinical applications.Methods: The study population included 160 normal adults divided into four groups(30–39,40–49,50–59,and 60–69 years),with 20 males and 20 females in each group.The following variables were measured in 160 subjects by means of QIMT and QAS techniques: the common carotid arterial intima-media thickness(IMT),carotid distensibility(CD),local pulse-wave velocity(PWVβ),and stiffness index(β).The above parameters were compared among the different age groups.Results:1.In four different age groups,CCA-IMT increased significantly with age(P<0.05).CD decreased significantly in the 40–49-,40–49-,and 50–59-year age groups compared with the 30–39-year group(P<0.05);PWVβ showed a significant increase in the 30–39-,40–49-,and 50–59-year age groups(P<0.05);β increased significantly in the 50–59-compared with the 30–39-and 40–49-year group(P<0.05).Compared with the 50–59-year group,CD,PWVβ,and β showed no significant changes in the 60–69-year group(P>0.05),but the vascular elastic parameters varied with age for subjects less than 60 years old.2.Significant differences were not revealed in the averages of IMT,CD,PWVβ,and β between left and right common carotid arteries in 160 normal adults(P>0.05).3.There were no significant differences in the mean values of the common carotid arterial IMT,CD,PWVβ,and β between males and females in four different age groups in160 normal adults(P>0.05).Conclusions:1.Ultrasound radiofrequency data technology as a novel noninvasive vascular detection technique,can be used to accurately and quantitatively evaluate the increased CCA-IMT and reduced vascular elasticity in normal adults in different age groups.2.Quality intima-media thickness and Quality arterial stiffness techniques enabled to provide the normal reference values of the common carotid arterial IMT,CD,PWVβ,and β in the different age groups by analyzing the received original radiofrequency signals.3.QIMT and QAS techniques were used to comprehensively evaluate the changes in the structure and vascular elastic function of common carotid artery,which not only significantly improving the quality of quantitative detection of the common carotid arterial IMT,but also accurately evaluating the change of vascular elastic function.QIMT and QAS techniques can be used as new and effective means for clinical quantitative evaluation of vascular performance.Part Two Detection of the common carotid arterial early-stage atherosclerosis in patients with type2 diabetes mellitus using ultrasound radiofrequency data technologyObjective: Ultrasound radiofrequency data technology included Quality Intima-media Thickness(QIMT)and Quality Arterial Stiffness(QAS)techniques.To quantitatively evaluate the changes of the vascular structure and elastic function of the common carotid artery(CCA)using QIMT and QAS techniques in asymptomatic subjects with type 2 diabetes(T2DM),and analyzing the difference between QIMT technique and manual single point measurement in common carotid arterial intima-media thickness(IMT).Methods: Thirty-seven T2 DM subjects and 39 healthy controls were the study population.The common carotid artery IMT in all subjects were measured by manual single point method for three times,and the mean values were calculated.The common carotid artery IMT and arterial elasticity in all subjects were then quantitatively assessed by means of QIMT and QAS techniques.The left and right common carotid arterial systolic diameter(Ds),diastolic diameter(Dd),IMT,carotid distensibility(CD),local pulse wave velocity(PWVβ)and stiffness index(β)were compared between the two groups.The mean values of common carotid artery IMT were compared between QIMT technique and manual single point measurement.Results:1.T2 DM subjects had larger common carotid arterial diastolic and systolic diameter,lower CD values,higher IMT measurements,and higher values of β and PWVβ(P<0.05)than the controls.2.Significant differences were not revealed in the averages of Ds,Dd,IMT,CD PWVβ and β between the left and right common carotid arteries in the two groups(all P>0.05).3.The mean values of left and right common carotid artery IMT measured manually at a single point in the two groups were significantly higher than that measured by QIMT technique(all p<0.001).Conclusions:1.Quality Intima-media Thickness(QIMT)and Quality Arterial Stiffness(QAS)techniques can be used to quantitatively and noninvasively detect the changes of the vascular structure and elastic function of the common carotidartery in asymptomatic subjects with T2 DM,obtaining with reproducible results.2.By accepting and expressing integral radiofrequency signals,QIMT and QAS techniques can accurately assess common carotid early-stage atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects with T2DM(larger common carotid arterial diastolic and systolic diameter,higher IMT measurements,and decreased vascular elastic function).3.QIMT technology was better than manual single point measurement method,and can be used to early detect the small change of the common carotid arterial IMT with micron resolution.Part Three Quantitative evaluation of the carotid arterial structure and function in hypertensive patients using ultrasound radiofrequency data technologyObjective: Ultrasound radiofrequency data technology included Quality Intima-media Thickness(QIMT)and Quality Arterial Stiffness(QAS)techniques.To explore the non-invasive quantitative detection of the changes in vascular structure and elastic function of the common carotid artery(CCA)in hypertensive patients by means of QIMT and QAS techniques,and comprehensively evaluating the extent of vascular lesions of common carotid artery atherosclerosis.Methods: Forty-six hypertensive subjects and 49 age-and sex-matched healthy controls were the study population.The changes of the left and right common carotid arterial systolic diameter(Ds),diastolic diameter(Dd),intima-media thickness(IMT),carotid distensibility(CD),local pulse wave velocity(PWVβ)and stiffness index(β)between the two groups were quantitatively detected using QIMT and QAS techniques.The correlations between the common carotid artery IMT and vascular elastic parameters were analyzed.Results:1.Hypertensive subjects had higher common carotid arterial IMT measurements,lower CD values,and higher values of PWVβ and β than the controls(P<0.05).However,compared with the normal control group,there were no significant differences in the common carotid arterial diastolic and systolic diameter in the hypertensive group(all P>0.05).2.Significant differences were not revealed in the averages of Ds,Dd,IMT,CD,PWVβ and β between the left and right common carotid arteries in the two groups(all P>0.05).3.IMT was positively correlated with PWVβ and β in all subjects(r=0.417,0.391,P<0.001),and IMT was negatively correlated with CD(r=-0.356,P<0.001);PWVβ was positively correlated with IMT(r=0.417,P<0.001),PWVβ was positively correlated with β(r=0.802,P<0.001),PWVβ was negatively correlated with CD(r=-0.507,P<0.001);and β was negatively correlated with CD(r=-0.378,P<0.001).Conclusions:1.Quality Intima-media Thickness technology was used to quantitatively detect the changes of the left and right common carotid arterial intima-media thickness in the early stage of arteriosclerosis,and Quality Arterial Stiffness technique was used to quantitatively detect and dynamically evaluate the changes of the elastic function of the left and right common carotid arteries.2.QIMT and QAS techniques were used to accurately detect the increased common carotid arterial IMT and decreased vascular elasticity in hypertensive patients,noninvasively assessing the changes of the vascular structure and elastic function of common carotid arteries.QIMT and QAS techniques enabled to quantitatively analyze and comprehensively evaluate the extent of vascular lesions of common carotid artery atherosclerosis,providing an objective basis for clinical diagnosis of early atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients.