Smedby O, Bergstrand L
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Ann Biomed Eng. 1996 Jul-Aug;24(4):474-80. doi: 10.1007/BF02648109.
Earlier studies have demonstrated a correlation between tortuosity and atherosclerosis in the femoral artery. One conceivable explanation is that atherosclerosis causes an elongation of the artery, resulting in vessel tortuosity, another is that blood flow phenomena (such as flow separation) due to the vessel geometry may affect the progression of atherosclerosis. To determine which of these hypotheses is most likely, a group of 232 hyperlipidemic patients was followed with angiography for 3 years during lipid-lowering treatment. After digitization of the films, a tortuosity value and an atherosclerosis measure (edge roughness) were computed. In the group with lower tortuosity values, there was a significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in edge roughness, but not in the group with a higher tortuosity values. On the other hand, neither the group with higher edge roughness values nor that with lower edge roughness values displayed a significant change in tortuosity. When tortuosity, roughness, and treatment were studied simultaneously, only the effect of tortuosity on roughness change was significant. These findings are more consistent with tortuosity influencing the development of atherosclerosis than with its being a consequence of atherosclerosis.
早期研究已证明股动脉的迂曲度与动脉粥样硬化之间存在关联。一种可能的解释是，动脉粥样硬化导致动脉伸长，从而造成血管迂曲；另一种解释是，由于血管几何形状导致的血流现象（如血流分离）可能会影响动脉粥样硬化的进展。为了确定这些假设中哪一个最有可能成立，一组232名高脂血症患者在降脂治疗期间接受了3年的血管造影随访。在对影片进行数字化处理后，计算出了迂曲度值和动脉粥样硬化测量值（边缘粗糙度）。在迂曲度值较低的组中，边缘粗糙度有显著下降（p < 0.0001），但在迂曲度值较高的组中没有。另一方面，边缘粗糙度值较高的组和边缘粗糙度值较低的组在迂曲度方面均未显示出显著变化。当同时研究迂曲度、粗糙度和治疗情况时，只有迂曲度对粗糙度变化的影响是显著的。这些发现更符合迂曲度影响动脉粥样硬化的发展，而不是其作为动脉粥样硬化的结果。
