Aortic stiffness assessed by blood pressure and echocardiography in young and normotensive patients with isolated aortic coarctation versus those with aortic coarctation and ventricular septal defect

• Published in: Cardiology in the young Vol. 35; no. 5; p. 985
• Main Authors: Duignan, Sophie, Pentony, Michaela, Walsh, Kevin Patrick, McMahon, Colin Joseph, Bassareo, Pier Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aortic Coarctation - complications; Aortic Coarctation - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Coarctation - physiopathology; Aortic Coarctation - surgery; Blood Pressure - physiology; Case-Control Studies; Child; Diastole; Echocardiography; Female; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - complications; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - diagnostic imaging; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - physiopathology; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular - surgery; Humans; Male; Vascular Stiffness - physiology; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Young Adult; aortic elasticity; blood pressure; aortic stiffness; ventricular septal defect; aortic coarctation; echocardiography
• DOI: 10.1017/S1047951125001362

Aortic coarctation can occur isolated or associated with ventricular septal defect. This study evaluated aortic stiffness in normotensive patients surgically treated for aortic coarctation and ventricular septal defect and in those who underwent simple aortic coarctation repair. Both groups were compared with healthy controls. Again, the two pathological groups were compared with each other regarding aortic stiffness and left ventricular diastolic function. A possible relationship between aortic stiffness and left ventricular diastolic function was investigated. Twenty-two isolated aortic coarctation patients and 17 aortic coarctation and ventricular septal defect patients were enrolled. Aortic root distensibility and aortic stiffness index were calculated from echocardiography and blood pressure. E wave to A wave (E/A) ratio was measured from mitral valve inflow profile. Aortic root distensibility and aortic stiffness index in simple aortic coarctation vs healthy controls: both < 0.0001. Aortic root distensibility and aortic stiffness index in aortic coarctation/ventricular septal defect vs healthy controls: both < 0.0001. Aortic root distensibility and aortic stiffness index were similar in the two pathological groups (both = ns). No statistically significant difference was detected in relation to left ventricular diastolic function ( = ns). No correlation was detected between aortic stiffness and diastolic function in simple aortic coarctation and aortic coarctation/ventricular septal defect groups (both = ns). In both normotensive isolated aortic coarctation and aortic coarctation/ventricular septal defects subgroups, aortic stiffness is increased in a similar way in comparison with controls. Diastolic function was normal and similar in both groups. Aortic stiffness was not related to left ventricular diastolic function in this specific setting.