Abstract：Objective: To determine whether there is an association between the presence of aortic valve calcification(AVC) and carotid artery atherosclerotic disease. Methods: 214 patients with AVC diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography underwent carotid artery ultrasound at the same time. They were compared with 182 age- and sex-matched persons without AVC who underwent carotid artery ultrasound during the same period. Results: ①Compared with the control group, the AVC group showed a significantly higher prevalence of systolic blood pressure(SBP) and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)[(162±18)mmHg versus (120±14)mmHg, P<0.01; (101±16)mmHg versus (78±12)mmHg, P<0.01). ②IMTs of CCA and ICA in the AVC group were significantly thicker than that in the control group[(1.17±0.18)mm versus (0.90±0.10)mm, P=0.000; (1.06±0.18)mm versus (0.81±0.12)mm, P=0.000, respectively].③Compared with the control group, the AVC group showed a significantly higher prevalence of carotid atherosclerotic plaque(44.39% versus 18.13%, P=0.000). ④The AVC group showed a significantly higher prevalence of carotid stenosis ≥20%(78.50% versus 57.14%, P=0.000), ≥40%(36.45% versus 22.53%, P=0.003), ≥60%(15.42% versus 8.24%, P=0.029), and ≥20%(38.32% versus 22.53%, P=0.001), ≥40%(19.63% versus 9.89%, P=0.007), ≥60%(7.01% versus 1.10%, P=0.004) of bilateral carotid artery. ⑤Vm of CCA and ICA in the AVC group were decreased significantly than that in the control group[(30.26±7.83)cm/s versus (41.25±8.32)cm/s, P=0.000; (35.46±6.85)cm/s versus (47.36±11.35)cm/s, P=0.000]. But PI(1.64±0.48 versus 1.35±0.32, P=0.010; 0.96±0.28 versus 0.85±0.16, P=0.039) and RI(0.78±0.07 versus 0.65±0.06, P=0.000; 0.81±0.11 versus 0.60±0.05, P=0.000) of CCA and ICA in the AVC group were increased significantly than that in the control group. ⑥On multivariate analysis, AVC was the only independent predictor of carotid atherosclerotic disease(stenosis of ≥40%, P=0.004). Conclusions: There is a significant association between the presence of AVC and carotid artery atherosclerotic disease. AVC may be an important marker for atherosclerotic disease of the carotid arteries. Carotid artery high frequency ultrasound should be underwent to the patients with AVC diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography as a common.
2007, Vol. 18 
