Increased diameter and stiffness of elastic but not muscular arteries in men with abdominal aortic aneurysm

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) Vol. 136; no. 6; pp. 1410 - 1417
• Main Authors: Shlimon, Kristian, Lindenberger, Marcus, De Basso, Rachel, Cinthio, Magnus, Bjarnegård, Niclas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Physiological Society 01.06.2024
• Subjects: Aged; Aorta; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal - physiopathology; Aortic aneurysms; Aortic arch; arterial stiffness; Arteries; axillary artery; Axillary Artery - diagnostic imaging; Axillary Artery - physiopathology; Biomedical Laboratory Science/Technology; Biomedicinsk laboratorievetenskap/teknologi; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - physiology; Body mass index; Body size; brachial artery; Brachial Artery - diagnostic imaging; Brachial Artery - physiopathology; Carotid arteries; Carotid artery; Carotid Artery, Common - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Artery, Common - physiopathology; Diameters; Elasticity; Extremities; general dilating diathesis; Humans; Male; Medical and Health Sciences; Medical Biotechnology; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicinsk bioteknologi; Middle Aged; Stiffness; Ultrasonography - methods; Ultrasound; Vascular Stiffness - physiology; Veins & arteries; arterial stiffness; general dilating diathesis; brachial artery; axillary artery; ultrasound
• DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00875.2023
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601

We present data partially supporting the notion of abdominal aortic aneurysm being a systemic vascular disease with focal manifestation in the abdominal aorta, from two well-defined groups recruited from a regional screening program. We show that elastic arteries distal from the aorta exhibit vascular alterations without aneurysmal formation in subjects with AAA compared with controls while muscular arteries seem unaffected. It has been proposed that formation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is part of a systemic arterial dilatative disease. However, arteries in the upper extremities are scarcely studied and it remains unclear whether both muscular and elastic arteries are affected by the proposed systemic arterial dilatation. The aim of this study was to investigate the diameter and stiffness of muscular and elastic arteries in arterial branches originating from the aortic arch. Twenty-six men with AAA (69 ± 4 yr) and 57 men without AAA (70 ± 5 yr) were included in the study. Ultrasound was used to examine the distal and proximal brachial artery, axillary artery, and common carotid artery (CCA), and measurement of diameter and diameter change was performed with wall-tracking software. Blood pressure measurements were used to calculate local arterial wall stiffness indices. The AAA cohort presented larger arterial diameters in the CCA and axillary artery after adjustment for body surface area ( P = 0.002, respectively), whereas the brachial artery diameters were unchanged. Indices of increased stiffness in CCA (e.g., lower distensibility, P = 0.003) were seen in subjects with AAA after adjustments for body mass index and mean arterial blood pressure. This study supports the theory of a systemic arterial dilating diathesis in peripheral elastic, but not in muscular, arteries. Peripheral elastic arteries also exhibited increased stiffness, in analogy with findings in the aorta in AAA. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We present data partially supporting the notion of abdominal aortic aneurysm being a systemic vascular disease with focal manifestation in the abdominal aorta, from two well-defined groups recruited from a regional screening program. We show that elastic arteries distal from the aorta exhibit vascular alterations without aneurysmal formation in subjects with AAA compared with controls while muscular arteries seem unaffected.