Author/Editor		Poredoš, Pavel; Kek, Anita
Title		Detection of early atherosclerotic changes of arterial wall using ultrasound
Type		članek
Source		Biocybern Biomed Eng
Vol. and No.		Letnik 18, št. 1-2
Publication year		1998
Volume		str. 59-69
Language		eng
Abstract		Methods used for many years for detecting of arterial stenoses and atherosclerosis based on the imaging of the arterial lumens (e.g. angiography) are of the greatest utility for assessing the relation of the presence of arterial disease to clinical outcome. However, the major disadvantage of these methods is their invasive nature and limited sensitivity for the arterial walls imaging and identification of the early stages of the disease. Newer ultrasonographic methods are more useful for assessing the arterial wall morphology and vascular dysfunctions. B-mode ultrasound provide quantitative information on arterial wall morphology and enables measurement of thickness of its constituents. There is growing evidence that thickening of the arterial wall intima-media (IMT) is the earliest detectable morphologic change in atherogenesis and that it proceeds the definitive atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore we studied the influence of different risk factors (smoking, diabetes mellitus) on intima-media thickness. Results of our studies showed dose-relationship between the presence and duration of risk factors and IMT of carotid arteries. The strongest predictors of IMT increase were: age, diabetes mellitus and the degree of the systolic blood pressure increase. IMT was also related to the number of atherosclerotic plaques on investigated carotid arteries and significantly increased in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). Using ultrasonographic imaging methods in above mentioned groups of subjects we studies also the influence of risk factors of atherosclerosis on flow mediated vasodilation of peripheral arteries. Impaired vasodilation of brachial arteries as a consequence of endotheliral dysfunction was demonstrated in diabetics and in PAOD patients.(Abstract truncated at 2000 characters)
Descriptors		ATHEROSCLEROSIS CAROTID ARTERIES BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISEASES DIABETES MELLITUS, INSULIN-DEPENDENT RISK FACTORS SMOKING BRACHIAL ARTERY ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY TUNICA INTIMA TUNICA MEDIA