Evaluation of Common Carotid Stiffness via Echo Tracking in Hypertensive Patients Complicated by Acute Aortic Dissection.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the common carotid stiffness via echo tracking in patients with hypertension and acute aortic dissection (AD) and to investigate the independent predictors for the occurrence of AD in hypertensive (HP) patients. METHODS Fifty HP patients complicated by acute AD (AD group), 50 HP patients without AD (HP group), and 50 age-matched healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled to assess the common carotid stiffness index (β), single-point pulsed wave velocity (PWVβ), and arterial compliance (AC) via echo tracking. RESULTS The intima-media thickness, diameter, β and PWVβ of the common carotid artery (CCA) in the AD group were significantly higher than those in the HP and control groups, whereas AC in the AD group was significantly lower (P < .05). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the systolic blood pressure (SBP; odds ratio [OR], 2.316; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.033-2.563; P < .001), β (OR, 2.140; 95% CI, 1.931-2.367; P < .001), PWVβ (OR, 1.212; 95% CI, 1.004-1.397; P = .023), and AC (OR, 0.565; 95% CI, 0.339-0.654; P < .001) were significantly related to the occurrence of AD in HP patients. The area under the curve values for the AC, SBP, β, and PWVβ were 0.822, 0.806, 0.778, and 0.741, respectively, and the area under the curve was up to 0.943 when these parameters were combined. CONCLUSIONS The compliance of the CCA decreased, and the stiffness of the CCA increased significantly in HP patients complicated by AD. The AC, β, and PWVβ of the CCA, together with the SBP, were independent predictors of the occurrence of AD in HP patients.