| Sumario: | Background Elevated aortic stiffness determined by transesophageal echocardiography ( TEE), and presence of complicated aortic plaque provide prognostic information about cerebrovascular disease risk. Recently, pulse-wave tissue Doppler imaging ( PW- TDI) has offered a new technique for assessing aortic wall stiffness. Methods The following aortic long-axis view TEE measurements were carried out in 103 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients and 72 controls (stroke-free patients requiring TEE for conditions such as atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease): (a) PW- TDI motion velocities measured as expansion peak velocity during systole (Vs) and contraction peak velocity during diastole (Vd); (b) aortic arch stiffness parameter β (Ao β), defined as β = ln (systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure)/([Dmax − Dmin]/Dmin), where ln is the natural logarithm, Dmax is maximum aortic lumen diameter, and Dmin is minimum aortic lumen diameter. The PW- TDI of Vs and Vd was compared with conventional vessel parameters brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba PWV) and cardio-ankle vascular index ( CAVI, calculated from blood pressure and PWV). Results Comparing acute ischemic stroke patients versus controls, Vs and Vd were significantly decreased (3.3 ± 1.6 vs. 3.9 ± 2.0 cm/sec, P < 0.05; 1.7 ± 0.6 vs. 2.1 ± 0.8 cm/sec, P < 0.01, respectively), and Ao β and aortic arch intima-media thickness (Ao IMT) were significantly increased (15.3 ± 12.5 vs. 11.6 ± 6.5, P < 0.05; 3.2 ± 2.5 vs. 2.4 ± 2.1 mm, P < 0.05; respectively). Furthermore, Vs and Vd were significantly negatively correlated with age, Ao β, Ao IMT, CAVI, and ba PWV in all cases. Conclusions The use of aortic arch wall PW- TDI for Vs and Vd evaluation constitutes an easily and readily assessed parameter for evaluating aortic arch stiffness.
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