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Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Regional Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Dysfunction: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Objective—The pathophysiology of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, particularly in the setting of a preserved ejection fraction (EF), remains unclear. Few studies have investigated the relationship between arterial compliance and LV function in humans, and none used cardiovascular MRI. Methods and Results—We sought to determine whether arterial compliance is related to regional myocardial function among participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Arterial compliance was assessed using carotid ultrasound measurements to calculate the distensibility coefficient (DC) and Young’s modulus (YM). Circumferential systolic (SRS) and diastolic (SRE) strain rates were calculated by harmonic phase (HARP) from tagged MRI. Associations between arterial compliance and indices of ventricular function were adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors. We found a significant association between arterial compliance and SRS in all myocardial regions (P<0.05); arterial compliance was also associated with SRE in the lateral and septal wall regions (P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated a direct linear relationship between the carotid artery DC and SRS across all LV segments and slices, even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and LV mass. In regression analyses, a significant relationship between arterial compliance and SRE in the septal and antero-apical walls was also found and remained significant after multivariable adjustment. Conclusion—Arterial stiffness is associated with early and asymptomatic impairment of systolic as well as diastolic myocardial function. Further studies are needed to elucidate role of vascular compliance in the development of ventricular dysfunction and failure.