Left Common Carotid Artery Biomechanical Properties in Individuals over 80 years: Women Have Stiffer Vessels.
Ann Vasc Surg
; 67: 461-467, 2020 Aug.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32173475
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Considering the longevity of the worldwide population, the cardiovascular diseases deserve particular attention, especially the carotid artery disease in the ≥80-year-old population. The stiffness of the common carotid artery, for example, has been showed in numerous clinical studies as a marker of increased risk of stroke, dementia, and depression. Besides, with the emergence of new surgical techniques such as the transcarotid artery revascularization that uses the common carotid artery as a workstation, the biomechanical and histological features of this vessel, more than ever, must be detailed.METHODS:
Left common carotid artery fragments from 9 cadaver donors (≥80 years old) were evaluated. Biomechanical (failure stress, tension, and strain) and histological (percentage of collagen and elastic fibers) features of these samples were analyzed with special focus on gender differences.RESULTS:
Statistically significant differences in biomechanical and histological features between the genders were observed. The percentage of collagen fiber in intima (P = 0.008) and media (P = 0.041) layers was significantly lower in men than in women. A higher elasticity (failure strain) of the specimens in male gender was also observed (P = 0.025). No significant difference was observed in the layers thickness between the genders regardless which part of the arterial wall was considered.CONCLUSIONS:
These biomechanical and histological findings could be the responsible for the higher left common carotid artery stiffness observed among ≥80-year-old women when compared with men in numerous clinical studies in literature.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Artéria Carótida Primitiva
/
Rigidez Vascular
Limite:
Female
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Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article