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. 2025 Mar 21;44(2):227-234.
doi: 10.5937/jomb0-52077.

Shear wave elastography to evaluate the effect of serum uric acid levels on carotid artery elasticity in patients with high-normal blood pressure

Yifan Wang  1 , Xinyu Wang  1 , Xiya Li  1 , Zhen Li  1 , Mengmeng Zhang  1 , Siran Zhang  1 , Le Ma  1 , Dongmei Huang  1 , Guangsen Li  1
Affiliations

Shear wave elastography to evaluate the effect of serum uric acid levels on carotid artery elasticity in patients with high-normal blood pressure

Yifan Wang et al. J Med Biochem. .

Abstract
in English, Serbian

Background: Populations with normal high blood pressure often already have elevated blood uric acid levels and a higher chance of developing atherosclerosis, which accelerates the process of cardiovascular disease. The risk of atherosclerosis increases with thickening of the carotid artery intima-media, and changes in carotid artery elasticity precede intima-media changes, so early monitoring of carotid artery elasticity is of great significance in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Using shear wave elastography (SWE) to evaluate the effect of serum uric acid (SUA) levels on carotid artery elasticity in patients with high-normal blood pressure (BP).

Methods: One hundred and fifteen patients with high-normal BP were selected, and then divided into tertiles according to the SUA levels. The left carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), peak systolic velocity (PSV) and diameter of common carotid artery were measured by two-dimensional ultrasound and Doppler flow imaging. Longitudinal elasticity of the left anterior carotid wall was measured by SWE, including the mean values of the minimum elastic modulus (MEmin), maximum elastic modulus (MEmax) and mean elastic modulus (MEmean).

Results: IMT, MEmean, MEmin and MEmax were obviously higher in the 3rd tertile (all P < 0.05), while there were no obviously different between the 1st tertile and 2nd tertile. Pearson correlation analysis showed positive correlations between SUA and SWE-related parameters, while there was no correlation with IMT. Multiple linear regression analysis found that age, systolic BP, and SUA levels were independently associated with SWE-related parameters.

Conclusions: SWE will be more helpful than IMT in monitoring the effect of blood uric acid levels on carotid artery elasticity in patients with high-normal BP.

Uvod: Populacije sa normalnim visokim krvnim pritiskom često već imaju povišen nivo mokraćne kiseline u krvi i veće šanse za razvoj ateroskleroze, što ubrzava proces kardiovaskularnih bolesti. Rizik od ateroskleroze raste sa zadeblja njem intimamedija karotidne arterije, a promene elastičnosti karotidne arterije prethode promenama intimamedija, pa je rano praćenje elastičnosti karotidne arterije od velikog značaja u prevenciji kardiovaskularnih bolesti. Korišćenje elastografije smičnog talasa (SVE) za procenu uticaja nivoa mokraćne kiseline u serumu (SUA) na elastičnost karotidne arterije kod pacijenata sa visokim normalnim krvnim pritiskom (BP).

Metode: Odabrano je 115 pacijenata sa visokim normalnim krvnim pritiskom, a zatim podeljeni na tertile prema nivoima SUA. Dvodimenzionalnim ultrazvukom i Doplerovim snimanjem mereni su debljina intime-medija leve karotide (IMT), vršna sistolna brzina (PSV) i prečnik zajedničke karotidne arterije. Uzdužna elastičnost levog prednjeg karotidnog zida merena je SVE, uključujući srednje vrednosti minimalnog modula elastičnosti (MEmin), maksimalnog modula elastičnosti (MEmak) i srednjeg modula elastičnosti (MEmean).

Rezultati: IMT, MEmean, MEmin i MEmak su očigledno bili viši u 3. tertilu (svi P < 0,05), dok nije bilo očigledne razlike izme|u 1. tertila i 2. tertila. Pirsonova korelaciona analiza je pokazala pozitivne korelacije između parametara vezanih za SUA i SVE, dok sa IMT nije bilo korelacije. Višestruka linearna regresiona analiza je otkrila da su starost, sistolni krvni pritisak i nivoi SUA nezavisno povezani sa parametrima vezanim za SVE.

Zaključak: SVE će biti od veće pomoći od IMT-a u praćenju uticaja nivoa mokra}ne kiseline u krvi na elastičnost karotidne arterije kod pacijenata sa visokim normalnim krvnim pritiskom.

Keywords: carotid artery elasticity; high-normal blood pressure; serum uric acid level; shear wave elastography.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in this work.Conflict of Interest: The authors stated that they have no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. SWE-related parameters of the participants stratified by SUA tertiles. The SUA levels were divided into tertiles including (A) group A (SUA level<4.23 mg/dL), (B) group B (SUA level 4.23–5.56 mg/dL), and (C) group C (SUA level>5.56 mg/dL).
Figure 2
Figure 2. The correlation of serum SUA level with MEmax, MEmean, MEmin and IMT in high-normal BP patients by scatter plot.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Repeatability was analyzed by Bland-Altman Plots. (A), Bland–Altman plot of interobserver variability. (B), Bland–Altman plot of intraobserver variability.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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