The cardiovascular health score and the volume of carotid body in computed tomography angiography in patients with arterial hypertension

Abstract

The cardiovascular health (CVH) score constitutes a reliable and measurable indicator of CVH proposed by the American Heart Association (AHA) calculated based on seven fundamental parameters, that is, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, healthy diet score, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and fasting plasma glucose. The size and activity of carotid body (CB) play an important role in the pathogenesis of the cardiovascular system. The objective of this study was to define the relationship between the AHA CVH score and the volume of CB (V_rCB+lCB) estimated based on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with arterial hypertension. Studies were conducted on a group of 57 patients with arterial hypertension (age: 70.74 ± 8.21 years). The CVH score was calculated, and CTA of carotid arteries was carried out for all patients. The CB analysis was performed based on delayed phase imaging obtained from CTA of carotid arteries. Based on the CVH score value, CVH was determined as optimal (CVH score between 10 and 14 points), average (5 and 9 points), or inadequate (0 and 4 points). CVH score in the studied group of patients was 6.53 ± 1.81, whereas V_rCB+lCB value was 38.58 ± 18.43 mm³. Patients with an inadequate CVH score (0–4 points) have statistically significantly higher V_rCB+lCB, and they are fraught with V_rCB+lCB ≥ median much more often than patients with an optimal CVH score (10–14 points). The receiver operating characteristic curve indicated a CVH score value of 6 as an optimal cutoff point to predict V_rCB+lCB ≥ median. The CVH score ≤6 criterion indicates V_rCB+lCB ≥ median with sensitivity of 58.6% and specificity of 71.4%. In the regression analysis, it was indicated that lower partial scores for physical activity, healthy diet score, and blood pressure in the AHA CVH evaluation constitute independent risk factors for higher V_rCB+lCB. In the studied group of patients with arterial hypertension, an inversely proportional dependence between the CVH score and the size of CB is observed in CTA of carotid arteries.