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The common carotid artery (CCA) and the common femoral artery (CFA) have different characteristics. We compared CCA and CFA intima-media thickness (IMT), diameter and stiffness in 50 healthy controls, 50 patients with cardiovascular risk factors (CV-RFs), and 50 patients with peripheral artery diseases (PADs) using radiofrequency-based ultrasound (Rf-US). Common femoral artery-IMT was significantly and similarly increased in patients with both CV-RF and PAD, whereas CCA-IMT was significantly greater only in patients with PAD. Common carotid artery diameter was increased and CFA diameter was decreased in patients with PAD. Common carotid artery and CFA pulse wave velocity (PWV) was increased only in patients with PAD. In the study population, age was directly related to CCA-IMT, diameter, and PWV (r = .52, .31, and .38; P < .0001 for all) but not to CFA vascular parameters (P = .10, .62, and .67). Common femoral artery–PWV was inversely related to the ankle–brachial index (r = −.30; P < .0001). Common femoral artery parameters are less linked to aging than the CCA parameters and may provide additional information on the atherosclerotic process. The Rf-US may be a useful tool for the more complex evaluation of arteries and assessing the impact of age and RFs on arteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) quantifies regional and global heart function. Few data are available on left ventricle (LV) performance in young athletes with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), where a pattern of mild aortic insufficiency is relatively frequent, and the ejection fraction (EF) is often normal for a long time. We report the measurement of LV strain in young BAV athletes. Methods and results Three groups (20 athletes with BAV, 20 healthy athletes, and 20 sedentary healthy subjects, all aged 25 ± 3 years) underwent standard echo examination to evaluate LPSS at the basal and medium-apical segments of the lateral wall (LW) and interventricular septum (IVS) of the LV. LPSS was within the normal range; however, in BAV athletes, the LPSS of the basal segments tended to be lower (S%IVSbasal, −17.7 ± 2.7; S%LWbasal, −14.2 ± 2.2; S%IVSmed-apic, −21 ± 3.5; S%LWmed-apic, −18.8 ± 4.2), producing a gradient from basal to apical regions. The EF was normal in all subjects. Conclusion Young trained BAV athletes have normal LV performance. Nevertheless, these athletes tend to have lower strain than healthy subjects in the LV basal segments. The clinical implications of this finding are uncertain and require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]