AIM: To investigate elastic characteristics of the aorta in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: Seventy five patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy through clinical and EEG findings and age and sex matched, 50 healthy controls were included. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures plus systolic and diastolic diameter of the aortic root was measured. Aortic strain (AS) and aortic distensibility (AD) and aortic distensibility index (BSI) were calculated. RESULTS: The average age of the epilepsy group was 23.8.8 +/- 8.2 years, and of the control group it was 24.1 +/- 6.2 years (p > 0.05). AS and AD were lower in the epileptic group while the aortic stiffness index was higher (10.4 +/- 4.2 vs 16.9 +/- 0.2, p: 0.001, for AS; 8.7 +/- 4.0 vs 17.2 +/- 0.1, p: 0.001, for AD and 20.1 +/- 0.1 vs 3.5 +/- 1.2, p: 0.001 for BSI). CONCLUSION: Elastic characteristics of the aorta change in epileptic patients, with a decrease of the distensibility of the aorta and an increase of the stiffness. After this preliminary study, new controlled studies are needed.
AIM: To investigate elastic characteristics of the aorta in patients with epilepsy. METHODS: Seventy five patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy through clinical and EEG findings and age and sex matched, 50 healthy controls were included. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures plus systolic and diastolic diameter of the aortic root was measured. Aortic strain (AS) and aortic distensibility (AD) and aortic distensibility index (BSI) were calculated. RESULTS: The average age of the epilepsy group was 23.8.8 +/- 8.2 years, and of the control group it was 24.1 +/- 6.2 years (p > 0.05). AS and AD were lower in the epileptic group while the aortic stiffness index was higher (10.4 +/- 4.2 vs 16.9 +/- 0.2, p: 0.001, for AS; 8.7 +/- 4.0 vs 17.2 +/- 0.1, p: 0.001, for AD and 20.1 +/- 0.1 vs 3.5 +/- 1.2, p: 0.001 for BSI). CONCLUSION: Elastic characteristics of the aorta change in epilepticpatients, with a decrease of the distensibility of the aorta and an increase of the stiffness. After this preliminary study, new controlled studies are needed.