Carotid Artery Vasoreactivity Correlates with Abdominal Aortic Vasoreactivity in Young Healthy Individuals but Not in Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Overview

Journal Curr Res Physiol

Date 2022 Jun 9

PMID 35677214

Authors

Jenske J M Vermeulen

Anne-Jet S Jansen

Sam van de Sande

Yvonne A W Hartman

Suzanne Holewijn

Michel M P J Reijnen

Dick H J Thijssen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Sympathetic stimulation of central arteries, such as coronary and carotid arteries, cause vasodilation in healthy subjects, but vasoconstriction in those with increased cardiovascular risk. This study compared vasoreactivity to sympathetic stimulation between abdominal aorta and carotid artery in healthy young individuals (young group, n = 20), in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA group, n = 20) and in a healthy older group, age- and gender matched with AAA group (matched group, n = 18).

Method: All subjects underwent cold pressor test, while performing concomitantly duplex ultrasound of abdominal aorta and carotid artery vasoreactivity. Observer-independent software was used to analyze and calculate magnitude and timing of maximum vasodilation or vasoconstriction. Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated to investigate vasoreactivity between arteries.

Results: Carotid artery reactivity [Interquartile range 25%, Interquartile range 75%] did not significantly differ between the young, matched and AAA group (3.5% [1.4, 4.7], 2.6% [2.0, 4.1] and 2.2% [-1.9, 3.7], respectively, p = 0.301). Abdominal aortic responsiveness demonstrated larger differences between young (4.9% [-0.2, 8.4]), matched (3.3% [-2.5, 4.4]) and individuals with AAA (0.5% [-3.9, 4.1], p = 0.059). Pooled analysis showed a significant correlation between carotid and abdominal aortic vasoreactivity (r = 0.444, p = 0.001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated significant correlation between both arteries in young (r = 0.636, p = 0.003), but not matched (r = -0.040, p = 0.866) or AAA group (r = 0.410, p = 0.129).

Conclusions: Sympathetic stimulation induces powerful vasodilation of the carotid artery and abdominal aorta, which is significantly correlated in healthy individuals. No such correlation is present in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients. This suggests the aneurysm alters local abdominal aorta vasoreactivity, but not the carotid artery.

References

Sugiyama Y, Matsukawa T, Shamsuzzaman A, Okada H, Watanabe T, Mano T . Delayed and diminished pressor response to muscle sympathetic nerve activity in the elderly. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1996; 80(3):869-75. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1996.80.3.869. View

Tymko M, Kerstens T, Wildfong K, Ainslie P . Cerebrovascular response to the cold pressor test - the critical role of carbon dioxide. Exp Physiol. 2017; 102(12):1647-1660. DOI: 10.1113/EP086585. View

Kamenskiy A, Dzenis Y, MacTaggart J, Lynch T, Kazmi S, Pipinos I . Nonlinear mechanical behavior of the human common, external, and internal carotid arteries in vivo. J Surg Res. 2011; 176(1):329-36. PMC: 3470810. DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2011.09.058. View

Herrington D, Fan L, Drum M, RILEY W, Pusser B, Crouse J . Brachial flow-mediated vasodilator responses in population-based research: methods, reproducibility and effects of age, gender and baseline diameter. J Cardiovasc Risk. 2001; 8(5):319-28. DOI: 10.1177/174182670100800512. View

van Mil A, Hartman Y, van Oorschot F, Heemels A, Bax N, Dawson E . Correlation of carotid artery reactivity with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery vasodilator responses in asymptomatic, healthy volunteers. J Hypertens. 2017; 35(5):1026-1034. DOI: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000001274. View

Ngo M, Kwak H, Chung G, Koh E . Longitudinal study of carotid artery bifurcation geometry using magnetic resonance angiography. Vascular. 2019; 27(3):312-317. DOI: 10.1177/1708538119828262. View

Siasos G, Mourouzis K, Oikonomou E, Tsalamandris S, Tsigkou V, Vlasis K . The Role of Endothelial Dysfunction in Aortic Aneurysms. Curr Pharm Des. 2015; 21(28):4016-34. DOI: 10.2174/1381612821666150826094156. View

Makita S, Ohira A, Tachieda R, Itoh S, Moriai Y, Niinuma H . Dilation and reduced distensibility of carotid artery in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Am Heart J. 2000; 140(2):297-302. DOI: 10.1067/mhj.2000.108000. View

Thijssen D, Bruno R, van Mil A, Holder S, Faita F, Greyling A . Expert consensus and evidence-based recommendations for the assessment of flow-mediated dilation in humans. Eur Heart J. 2019; 40(30):2534-2547. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehz350. View

10.

Chandraratna P, Wijegunaratne K, Farag K, Nimalasuriya A, Mathews S . Changes in abdominal aortic diameter in response to the cold pressor test and nitroglycerin: a new noninvasive model for the assessment of endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vascular relaxation. Echocardiography. 2009; 26(10):1211-6. DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2009.00942.x. View

11.

Puri R, Nicholls S, Nissen S, Brennan D, Andrews J, Liew G . Coronary endothelium-dependent vasoreactivity and atheroma volume in subjects with stable, minimal angiographic disease versus non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction: an intravascular ultrasound study. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2013; 6(5):674-82. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.113.000460. View

12.

Lanne T, Sonesson B, Bergqvist D, Bengtsson H, Gustafsson D . Diameter and compliance in the male human abdominal aorta: influence of age and aortic aneurysm. Eur J Vasc Surg. 1992; 6(2):178-84. DOI: 10.1016/s0950-821x(05)80237-3. View

13.

Bahia S, Holt P, Jackson D, Patterson B, Hinchliffe R, Thompson M . Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Long-term survival After Elective Infrarenal Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair 1969-2011: 5 Year Survival Remains Poor Despite Advances in Medical Care and Treatment Strategies. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2015; 50(3):320-30. PMC: 4831642. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejvs.2015.05.004. View

14.

Sonesson B, Hansen F, Lanne T . Abdominal aortic aneurysm: a general defect in the vasculature with focal manifestations in the abdominal aorta?. J Vasc Surg. 1997; 26(2):247-54. DOI: 10.1016/s0741-5214(97)70185-x. View

15.

Schachinger V, Britten M, Zeiher A . Prognostic impact of coronary vasodilator dysfunction on adverse long-term outcome of coronary heart disease. Circulation. 2000; 101(16):1899-906. DOI: 10.1161/01.cir.101.16.1899. View

16.

van Mil A, Pouwels S, Wilbrink J, Warle M, Thijssen D . Carotid Artery Reactivity Predicts Events in Peripheral Arterial Disease Patients. Ann Surg. 2017; 269(4):767-773. DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000002558. View

17.

Rubenfire M, Rajagopalan S, Mosca L . Carotid artery vasoreactivity in response to sympathetic stress correlates with coronary disease risk and is independent of wall thickness. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000; 36(7):2192-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(00)01021-4. View

18.

Johnsen S, Joakimsen O, Singh K, Stensland E, Forsdahl S, Jacobsen B . Relation of common carotid artery lumen diameter to general arterial dilating diathesis and abdominal aortic aneurysms: the Tromsø Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2008; 169(3):330-8. DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwn346. View

19.

Kaneko H, Anzai T, Takahashi T, Kohno T, Shimoda M, Sasaki A . Role of vascular endothelial growth factor-A in development of abdominal aortic aneurysm. Cardiovasc Res. 2011; 91(2):358-67. DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvr080. View

20.

Newman A, Arnold A, Burke G, OLeary D, Manolio T . Cardiovascular disease and mortality in older adults with small abdominal aortic aneurysms detected by ultrasonography: the cardiovascular health study. Ann Intern Med. 2001; 134(3):182-90. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-134-3-200102060-00008. View