Prevalence of carotid artery kinking in 590 consecutive subjects evaluated by Echocolordoppler. Is there a correlation with arterial hypertension?

. Pancera P, Ribul R, Presciuttini B, Lechi A (Università di Verona, Italy). Prevalence of carotid artery kinking in 590 consecutive subjects evaluated by Echocolordoppler. Is there a correlation with arterial hypertension? J Intern Med 2000; 248: 7–12. Objective. To assess a possible correlation between high blood pressure and prevalence of kinking in carotid arteries. Design. Between July 1, 1997 and December 31, 1998, we evaluated the subjects submitted to Echocolordoppler examination of carotid arteries. Setting. Patients were examined at the Laboratory for Noninvasive Vascular Diagnostics of the University Hospital in Verona. Subjects.& 590 consecutive subjects (M/F ratio, 1/1.2; mean age, 67 years; range, 36–86 years). Main outcome measures. An Echocolordoppler ultrasonograph to evaluate by means of the standard longitudinal and transverse scans the usual parameters of both intima‐to‐lumen interface and flow. Moreover, particular attention was paid to the analysis of the conformational characteristic of the vessels. Kinking has been classified in three classes according to the degree of bending. All the subjects were asked to compile a questionnaire that provided us with the clinical history. Results. The prevalence of hypertension in the subjects with kinking appeared higher than in subjects without this abnormality (χ2 = 6.44, P