Clinical Application of Pulsatility Index
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REVIEW ARTICLE Melanie Wielicka* , Jolanta Neubauer-Geryk* , Grzegorz Kozera , Leszek Bieniaszewski *Both authors had an equal authorship in the study Clinical Physiology Unit, Medical Simulation Centre, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland Clinical application of pulsatility index Corresponding author: ABSTRACT Jolanta Neubauer-Geryk, Clinical Pulsatility index (PI) is defined as the difference between the peak systolic flow and minimum diastolic flow Physiology Unit, Medical Simulation Centre, Medical University of Gdansk, velocity, divided by the mean velocity recorded throughout the cardiac cycle. It is a non-invasive method Gdansk, Poland, Dębowa 25 Str., of assessing vascular resistance with the use of Doppler ultrasonography. It was first introduced in 1974 80-204 Gdansk, Poland, by Gosling and King and is also known as the Gosling Index. PI as a method of examining macrocircula- e-mail: [email protected] tion has a variety of clinical applications. For instance, in diabetic patients, it has been measured on the common carotid, middle cerebral or renal arteries to help predict complications such as cerebrovascular disease or nephropathy. In hypertensive patients, it has been used to assess complications and assess the chronicity of the disease. To our knowledge, despite the diverse use of this ultrasonographic parameter, there is a deficiency in reports that would comprehensively summarize its clinical applications. Based on our extensive review of the literature and the gathered information, we conclude that pulsatility index (PI) is an easy to obtain parameter with a broad range of both, research and clinical applications. Medical Research Journal 2020; It has been widely used in the assessment of macrocirculation in highly prevalent chronic medical condi- Volume 5, Number 3, 201–210 tions, such as hypertension, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and thyroid disorders. 10.5603/MRJ.a2020.0016 Copyright © 2020 Via Medica Key words: pulsatility index, clinical application, cerebral artery, carotid artery, renal artery ISSN 2451–2591 Med Res J 2020; 5 (3): 201–210 Introduction tions, including increased stress on the left ventricle, a gradual increase in blood pressure and, eventually, Macrovascular complications, such as cardiovascu- even end-organ damage through the transmission of lar and cerebrovascular events, are the leading cause harmful pulsation into the microcirculation. Thus, the of mortality in patients with common vascular risk fac- increase in pulsatility associated with loss of elastic tors, such as diabetes or hypertension. It is estimated recoil in large blood vessels has detrimental effects on that, globally, approximately 32.2% of type 2, 30.3% of global cardiovascular health. type 1 diabetic and 30% hypertensive patients suffer Pulsatility index (PI) is defined as the difference from cardiovascular complications [1–5]. between the peak systolic flow and minimum diastolic Pulsatility is an intrinsic property and an integral flow velocity, divided by the mean velocity recorded aspect of the cardiovascular system, strongly related to throughout the cardiac cycle. It is a non-invasive elasticity of arteries. The natural pulsations in pressure method of assessing vascular resistance with the use caused by each contraction of the left ventricle are large- of doppler ultrasonography. It was first introduced in ly diminished thanks to elasticity of large arteries. As the 1974 by Gosling and King, thus is also known as the aorta expands, it stores a portion of the stroke volume, Gosling Index [7, 8]. Due to the vast applications of this so that the microvasculature is less exposed to pulsatile parameter, we comprehensively discuss PI use and its stress [6]. Thus, the elasticity of blood vessels allows clinical significance in the assessment of microcircula- for blunting down harmful pulsations in the large arter- tory system (Fig. 1). ies before they reach end-organ microcirculation [6]. However, from early on in childhood, arterial walls con- tinually increase in stiffness through the loss of elastic Macrocirculation and pulsatility fibers. This process is further augmented by disorders of metabolism such as hyperlipidemia or diabetes The great physiological and clinical significance mellitus through a variety of mechanisms. A decrease of arterial pulsatility is related to how the large, elastic in elasticity is associated with a multitude of complica- arteries serve as a type of reservoir that functions to www.journals.viamedica.pl/medical_research_journal 201 MEDICAL RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020. vol. 5. no. 3 The impact of aging on arterial stiffness and Velocity pulsatility has been demonstrated in several stud- V max– V min ies. Zarrinkoob et al [12] investigated how age and PI = V mean sex impacts the dampening of the pulsatile flow V max from the proximal to the distal cerebral arteries. The study groups consisted of 45 healthy elderly, with a mean are of 71 years, and 49 young healthy subjects, with a mean age of 25 years. The authors V mean found that especially cerebral pulsatile flow was dampened from proximal to distal parts of the ce- rebral arterial system and that this dampening was V min more pronounced in the younger studied group. Time This demonstrates how aging impacts the ability of larger, more elastic arteries to diminish delivery of harmful pulsations to smaller blood vessels. Several Figure 1. Calculation of the Pulsatility (Gosling) Index (PI). other authors have also shown an increase in PI of V max — maximal flow velocity, V min — minimal flow the cerebrovascular circulation with an increase in velocity, V mean — mean flow velocity age [13, 14]. Additionally, Schoning et al [15, 16] used ultrasound examination to establish PI at the common carotid artery in healthy children, adoles- store blood during systole and expel it to the peripheral cents and adults. They were able to demonstrate how circulation during diastole within each contraction of arterial hemodynamics change with age and show the left ventricle [4, 5]. This provides a constant flow that PI is an age-dependent parameter. of blood into the microvascular beds throughout the It is also worth mentioning how an increase in arterial cardiac cycle, allowing for continuous exchange of diameter affects PI. It has been described that in arterial substances between tissues and plasma. Loss of this aneurysms, a Windkessel effect takes place, where the elastic reservoir has several negative effects on the aneurysm acts as a reservoir for blood during systole cardiovascular system and has the potential to damage and releases it during diastole. This results in lower end-organ circulation. With the loss of elasticity, there pulse pressure, because of increased vascular resis- is an increase in pulsatile load of the heart, which has tance distally [9, 10]. This was supported by a study detrimental effects on the left ventricle through increas- by Hussein et al [9], where the authors demonstrated ing its mass and thus the myocardial oxygen demand the relationship between the size of internal carotid [9]. Additionally, the increased pulsations resulting artery aneurysms and distal intracranial hemodynam- from the stiffness of large vessels are believed to af- ics. They have measured flow and pulsatility index within fect the capillary networks, resulting in microvascular bilateral middle cerebral arteries and internal carotid complications, as they allow the harmful pulsations to arteries prior to initiating any treatment. They found be conducted into end-organ microcirculation [10]. that larger aneurysmal size (>10mm) had a significant This is particularly important when it comes to organs correlation with higher ipsilateral middle cerebral artery characterized by high flow and low resistance, such as PI. Conversely, a decrease in aortic diameter causes the brain and the kidneys [6]. an increase in vascular resistance. An increase in The complex elastic fiber mesh in large blood pulsatility index is a reliable marker of distal resistance vessels begins its synthesis development in early em- in the examined blood vessel [11]. Pulsatility index as bryogenesis, a process which continues up until early a measure of vascular resistance has also been used childhood. As a result, adults have a relatively fixed in examining patients with carotid artery stenosis as amount of elastic fibers in their aorta, which slowly well as aortic stenosis, helping in assessment of the stretch out, degenerate and become replaced by much efficacy of treatment. less compliant collagen fibers [9]. As shown by Eberth PI as a method of examining macrocirculation has et al increasing pulsatile pressure and continuous a wide range of clinical applications. For instance, in flow injury on the vascular wall result in a significant diabetic patients it has been measured on the common increase in the number of cells and an increased col- carotid, middle cerebral or renal arteries to help predict lagen-to-elastin ratio with further aortic wall thickening complications such as cerebrovascular disease or and luminal narrowing [11]. The progression of arterial nephropathy [12, 13]. In hypertensive patients, it has stiffening and the increase in flow pulsatility in the el- been used to assess complications and assess the derly occurs due to the fact that the less elastic vessels chronicity of disease [14]. To our knowledge, despite are no longer capable of buffering the flow pulsations the diverse use of this ultrasonographic parameter, generated with each ventricular