AUTHOR=Li Zhaohuan , Luo Anguo , Liu Xuebing , Xie Shenghua , Wang Yulin , Deng Lan , Zhong Shimin , Liu Yaoxia , Cao Xu , Du Yigang , Luo Wen , Deng Yan , Yin Lixue 

TITLE=Study on the characteristics of carotid wall shear stress in type 2 diabetes patients based on ultrasound vector flow imaging

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1409082

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2024.1409082

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objectives</title><p>We aimed to quantitatively analyze wall shear stress (WSS) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and elucidate the relationship between WSS and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using ultrasound vector flow (V-Flow) imaging.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 109 T2DM patients were selected as the DM group, while 49 healthy volunteers served as the control group. V-Flow examination of the bilateral CCA was conducted. The maximum wall shear stress (WSS<sub>max</sub>) and mean wall shear stress (WSS<sub>mean</sub>) at the bifurcation, proximal bifurcation and middle segment of the bilateral CCA were obtained.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The DM group showed decreased WSS<sub>mean</sub> in the middle region and proximal bifurcation of the CCA compared with the control group (p &lt; 0.05). The WSS<sub>mean</sub> was further decreased in T2DM patients with CVD compared to those without CVD (middle region: 0.71 ± 0.17 Pa <italic>vs.</italic> 0.84 ± 0.24 Pa, p &lt; 0.05; proximal bifurcation: 0.62 ± 0.22 Pa <italic>vs.</italic> 0.80 ± 0.21 Pa, p &lt; 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that a model combining with age, body mass index and WSS<sub>mean</sub> at the proximal carotid bifurcation had diagnostic value for detecting CVD in T2DM patients (area under the curve: 0.862, p &lt; 0.05).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>WSS<sub>mean</sub> has potential value for evaluation of atherosclerosis, as well as in detecting the occurrence of CVD in T2DM patients. Ultrasound V-Flow imaging may be an effective tool for non-invasive evaluation of WSS in the clinic.</p></sec>