Erica Chirico1,
Michael C. Langham, Erin K. Englund, Susan Schultz1, Lifeng Zhang2,
Sandy Sehgal1, Emile R. Mohler2, Felix W. Wehrli
1Radiology,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 2Medicine,
Cardiovascular Division, Vascular Medicine Section, University of
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
We evaluated an integrated MRI protocol that consists of three quantitative techniques against established ultrasound (US) measures: flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of brachial artery and intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid arteries. MRI techniques included dynamic velocimetry and oximetry in femoral artery and vein, respectively, and regional quantification of pulse-wave velocity in the aortic arch, thoracoabdominal aorta and iliofemoral arteries. The subjects consisted of healthy young and old without a history of cardiovascular disease. Initial results indicate that age-related decline in vascular reactivity are characterized by both MRI and US.