Artery Research

Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2014, Pages 66 - 72

Cardiovascular aging: Insights from local and regional measures of aortic stiffness using magnetic resonance imaging

Authors
Alban Redheuila, b, c, *
aDépartement d’imagerie cardiovasculaire DICVRI, Institut de Cardiologie, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière APHP, Paris, France
bLaboratoire d’imagerie biomédicale INSERM, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7371, UMR_S 1146, Paris, France
cICAN Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Imaging Core Lab, Paris, France
*Département d’imagerie cardiovasculaire, DICVRI, Institut de Cardiologie, Groupe Hspitalier Pitié Salpêtrière, 86 boulevard Vincent Auriol, 75013 Paris, France. E-mail address: alban.redheuil@psl.aphp.fr.
Corresponding Author
Alban Redheuil
Available Online 14 March 2014.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.005How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Cardiovascular aging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Aortic stiffness; Distensibility; Pulse wave velocity
Abstract

Aortic stiffness is now established as an independent marker of cardiovascular aging and cardiovascular risk. However, the specific role of the proximal aorta, specifically the ascending aorta, remains understudied. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non-invasive technique has recently been proposed to measure new local and regional imaging biomarkers of stiffness in the thoracic aorta. We will here review recent data on aortic stiffness assessed by MRI. We will discuss the methodological advantages and challenges of MRI, combined with applanation tonometry, to evaluate local aortic distensibility and pulse wave velocity (PWV) and summarize available results concerning the age related distribution of such parameters.

Aortic distensibility has been shown to be an early subclinical marker of vascular target organ damage in the general population and expected ranges for ascending aortic distensibility and aortic arch pulse wave velocity assessed in MRI have been described. Changes in aortic distensibility and arch PWV have been related to age-related geometric changes, specifically lengthening, enlargement and unfolding of the thoracic aorta. Increased proximal aortic stiffness measured by MRI has also been related to decreased systolic and diastolic function and concentric remodeling of the left ventricule in healthy individuals.

Copyright
© 2014 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

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Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
8 - 2
Pages
66 - 72
Publication Date
2014/03/14
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.005How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2014 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Alban Redheuil
PY  - 2014
DA  - 2014/03/14
TI  - Cardiovascular aging: Insights from local and regional measures of aortic stiffness using magnetic resonance imaging
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 66
EP  - 72
VL  - 8
IS  - 2
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.005
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2014.01.005
ID  - Redheuil2014
ER  -