Impaired aortic elasticity and diastolic functions are associated with findings of coronary computed tomographic angiography.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Prospective cross-sectional observational study without a separate control group
PubMed 25348859 · doi:10.12659/MSM.892502
What was done
A prospective cross-sectional study evaluated 106 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) who underwent both coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and transthoracic echocardiography. Total coronary artery calcium score (CACS), total coronary plaque area, and epicardial fat volume (EFV) were quantified via CTA. Diastolic function, aortic stiffness index (ASI), and aortic distensibility were evaluated via echocardiography.
What was found
Patients with diastolic dysfunction of any degree had significantly higher ASI, CACS, plaque area, and EFV. ASI correlated positively with CACS and total coronary plaque area, and also showed a significant but weaker correlation with EFV. The abstract reports no exact numerical values, correlation coefficients, or p-values.
Why it matters
Echocardiographic measures of aortic stiffness and diastolic dysfunction parallel imaging markers of coronary atherosclerosis, indicating a potential role for non-invasive ultrasound in CAD risk stratification.
Limits
The abstract provides no numerical data, effect sizes, correlation statistics, or confidence intervals. The sample size is modest (n = 106), limited to symptomatic or suspected CAD patients, and the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality or longitudinal prognostic utility.
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