The overall echogenicity (GSM) of carotid intima-media complex shows a positive correlation with arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients

Background: Arterial stiffness measurement still plays a role in prediction of future cardiovascular events, thus helping for quantification of patients' cardiovascular (CV) risk level. However, significant measurement difficulties still exist, making its widespread evaluation not routinary. At present indices of arterial stiffness have not been associated with qualitative morphological characteristics of intima-media complex. The intima-media thickness (IMT) measurement is no longer recommended in the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment due to lack of a standard acquisition protocol. The intima media gray scale median (IM-GSM) is a relatively simple measurement, acquirable during a conventional carotid color-Doppler ultrasound examination. This study aims at investigating the possible relationship between arterial stiffness and echogenicity of IM-GSM of the common carotid arteries, in patients already diagnosed with arterial hypertension.Material and methods: A total of 421 hypertensive patients were retrospectively selected from our database of hypertension outpatients ambulatory. They were divided into two groups according to IM-GSM values (cutoff value: 30) and then subsequently compared.Results: In our study population, subjects with IM-GSM > 30 showed a statistically increased arterial stiffness and left ventricle mass index. A weak positive correlation was also found between IM-GSM, systolic blood pressure and duration of hypertension.Conclusion: The data presented here indicated that the variation of arterial stiffness observed in hypertensive patients is associated with structural modifications in carotid arterial wall.