Background: Aging is associated with increased carotid stiffness. Functional impairment of the arterial wall may occur before structural wall changes during the atherosclerotic process and be detectable before symptoms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Two-dimensional ultrasound imaging of vascular tissue motion and deformation (Strain) during the cardiac cycle using speckle tracking may be superior to classical markers of arterial stiffness.

Purpose: To describe the effectiveness of non-invasive methods for the evaluation of elastic properties of the arterial wall between age groups.

Method: 28 healthy volunteers aged 18–35 yrs (n=12, ≈25 yr) or 55–75 yrs (n=16, ≈63 yr) were recruited for this study. Ultrasonographic imaging of the common carotid artery was performed in the circumferential axis and strain was calculated by speckle tracking software. Conventional elasticity parameters (elastic modulus (Ep), and Beta-stiffness (β)) were calculated using B-mode guided M-mode sonography and non-invasive blood pressure measurements.

Results: Resting carotid pulse pressure (Young=46 +/− 8 mmHg vs. Old=51 +/− 12 mmHg) and the systolic to diastolic pressure ratio (Young=1.586 +/− 0.169 vs. Old=1.583 +/− 0.149) where not significantly different between groups. Strain and strain-rate were significant different between age groups, even after controlling for gender, aerobic capacity (VO2peak), β, and Ep.

Conclusion: Strain appears to be a superior measure of arterial stiffness markers when comparing age-dependent changes in vascular stiffness. VO2peak, gender, β, and Ep do not explain age-dependent differences in circumferential carotid arterial strain by two dimensional speckle tracking imaging.