Arterioles elasticity index and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction

Objective:To investigate the relationship between arterioles elasticity index(C2)and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM).Methods:A total of 69 HCM patients were enrolled in this study from January 2010 to July 2013. General clinical information was collected and correlation between different concentrations of C2 and other related indexes was analyzed.Then,HCM patients were divided into obstructive and non-obstructive HCM groups according to the degree of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction,and C2 level was compared between the two groups. Results:C2 was negatively related to N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)and left ventricular outflow tract maximum pressure(LVOTPG),and it was positively related to left ventricular fraction shortening(LVFS).There was no significant correlation between left ventricular posterior wall depth(LVPWD)and C2.C2 was nonlinear correlated to high-sensitivity troponin I(c-TNI),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular enddiastolic diameter(LVEDD).Compared with non-obstructive HCM patients,C2 was significantly decreased in obstructive HCM patients. Conclusion:C2 is closely correlated with LVOTPG,and it may be a dynamic evaluation index indicating the obstructive condition of left ventricular outflow tract in HCM patients.