The Clinical Value Of Pulse Wave Velocity In Diagnosis Of Patients With Carotid Atherosclerosis

Objectives:To evaluate the clinical value of pulse wave velocity in diagnosis of patients with atherosclerosis and determine the peak point of diagnosis.Methods:Totally 36 receivers were selected.All of them underwent carotid ultrasound.After then,they were divided into 3 groups paired with age and sex:12 of them were patients with carotid atherosclerosis as group A.12 of them were "non-carotid atherosclerosis" with cardiovascular risk factors as group B.12 of them were healthy subjects as group C. PWV were measured in one week.Compared the differences of the PWV level among the three groups,correlation analysis between PWV and intima-media thickness was made.Use ROC curve to evaluate the value of the PWV in atherosclerosis.Results:(1) The level of the right carotid PWV of receivers significantly increased(P＜0.001) in group A[(298.00±41.722)cm/s]compared with in group B[(249.50±26.524)cm/s]or in group C[(210.33±20.097)cm/s].Group B was significantly higher(P＜0.001) than group C.The PWV of the right carotid positively correlated with IMT of the right carotid (r=0.604,P＜0.001).(2) The level of the left carotid PWV significantly increased (P＜0.001) in group A[(311.17±50.067)cm/s]compared with in group B[(253.17±32.727)cm/s]or in group C[(210.17±23.544)cm/s].Group B was significantly higher(P＜0.001) than group C.The PWV of the left carotid positively correlated with IMT of the left carotid(r=0.739,P＜0.001).(3) The ROC AUC of the right carotid PWV was 0.917,at peak point of the ROC curve the PWV was 250cm/s.PWV=250cm/s of the right carotid could predict the presence of atherosclerosis with a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 75%.The ROC AUC of the left carotid PWV was 0.910,at peak point of the ROC curve the PWV was 250cm/s.PWV=250cm/s of the left carotid could predict the presence of atherosclerosis with a sensitivity of 83.3%and specificity of 75%.Conclusions:The level of the both sides of carotids PWV significantly increased in patients with carotid atherosclerosis compared with the subjects of non-carotid atherosclerosis with cardiovascular risk factors or the healthy subjects.The level of the both sides of carotids PWV significantly increased in patients with non-carotid atherosclerosis with cardiovascular risk factors compared with the healthy subjects.It suggested that before the atherosclerosis appeared in morphology,vessel wall stiffness had increased.The PWV of the either side of carotids positively correlated with the IMT of the corrective side of carotid.Using ROC curve to evaluate the value of PWV in diagnosis of atherosclerosis suggested that at the peak point of the ROC curve the PWV was 250cm/s in the people from age 40 to 60 with the systolic pressure from 120 to 140mmHg and(or) diastolic pressure from 60 to 80mmHg.It was a valuable predictor of atherosclerosis.