Quantification of atherosclerosis by carotid ultrasound

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07934
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52010:General internal medicine-related
• Research Institution: Gifu University
• Principal Investigator: MORITA HIROYUKI 岐阜大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (90252147)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 横田 康成 岐阜大学, 工学部, 教授 (00262957) ; 池田 貴英 岐阜大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (30444326) ; 田口 皓一郎 岐阜大学, 医学部附属病院, その他 (80610401)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 頸動脈エコー / 動画解析 / 血管年齢 / CAVI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Simultaneous carotid US video imaging and CAVI measurements were performed on patients with various diseases. Vascular age was calculated from the arterial stiffness index obtained from carotid US video analysis, and vascular age was calculated from CAVI based on existing reports. Patients were divided into two groups (low-risk group and high-risk group) based on risk factors for atherosclerosis, and the relationship between each vascular age obtained from carotid US and CAVI and actual age was examined. For both carotid US and CAVI, the slopes of the lines were significantly steeper in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group. In other words, the carotid US and CAVI results for the high-risk group were significantly steeper than those for the low-risk group, indicating that the respective vascular age obtained from carotid US and CAVI was higher than that of the actual age of the patients.

Free Research Field

総合内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢化社会において、脳卒中や心筋梗塞など動脈硬化性疾患発症予測は重要な課題である。現在臨床応用されている動脈硬化の定量的指標は頸動脈USによる中膜内膜厚保と四肢血圧同時測定によるCAVIの2つである。今回の研究によって、新たに開発した頸動脈US動画解析による血管年齢は、CAVIによる血管年齢と同様、動脈硬化の進展が予想される患者群で実年齢に比較し血管年齢が高くなっていることを示すことができたことから、頸動脈US動画解析による血管年齢の臨床的有用性が証明できたと考えられる。一方、この2つの方法で得られた血管年齢は個人的に見ると差が大きく、動脈硬化性疾患発症予測にどちらが有用かは今後の課題である。