Background

The aim of this study was to examine the association between myocardial strain and arterial thickness and stiffness in young adults. Increased common carotid artery intima media thickness and peripheral arterial stiffness are known to precede coronary artery disease and cardiovascular (CV) events such as myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. However, subclinical cardiac dysfunction can be detected in high-risk adults by myocardial strain echocardiography. The authors hypothesized that increased carotid artery intima media thickness would be associated with abnormal myocardial strain in young subjects who had obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

CV risk factors were collected in 338 young adults participating in a prospective, cross-sectional study. The CV parameters collected included intima-media thickness, peripheral arterial stiffness by brachial distensibility, and myocardial strain and strain rate. General linear models were constructed to determine if vascular structure and function measures were independently associated with myocardial strain and strain rate.

Results

A linear relationship was found between global longitudinal strain obtained from the four-chamber view and global strain rate in systole and carotid intima-media thickness (four-chamber global longitudinal strain: β = 3.0, CV risk factor–adjusted R² = 0.34; global strain rate in systole: β = 0.0053, R² = 0.21; P ≤ .0001) and between four-chamber global longitudinal strain and lower brachial distensibility (β = −0.42, R² = 0.22; P < .001).

Conclusions

Adverse changes in vascular structure and function are simultaneously present with reduced myocardial systolic function.

中文翻译：

---

动脉厚度和硬度与左心室应变独立相关。

背景

本研究的目的是检查年轻人心肌应变与动脉厚度和硬度之间的关联。众所周知，颈总动脉内膜中层厚度和外周动脉僵硬度的增加先于冠状动脉疾病和心血管（CV）事件（例如心肌梗塞和充血性心力衰竭）。然而，通过心肌应变超声心动图可以检测高危成人的亚临床心功能不全。作者推测，颈动脉内膜中层厚度的增加与患有肥胖症和 2 型糖尿病的年轻受试者的异常心肌应变有关。

方法

一项前瞻性横断面研究收集了 338 名年轻人的心血管危险因素。收集的 CV 参数包括内膜中层厚度、肱动脉扩张性外周动脉僵硬度以及心肌应变和应变率。构建一般线性模型以确定血管结构和功能测量是否与心肌应变和应变率独立相关。

结果

从四腔视图获得的整体纵向应变与收缩期整体应变率和颈动脉内膜中层厚度之间存在线性关系（四腔整体纵向应变：β = 3.0，CV风险因子调整后的R ²  = 0.34；收缩期整体应变率：β = 0.0053，R ²  = 0.21；P  ≤ .0001）以及四腔整体纵向应变和下臂扩张性之间（β = -0.42，R ²  = 0.22；P  < .001）。

结论

血管结构和功能的不良变化与心肌收缩功能降低同时存在。