Changes of Arterial Blood Flow Patterns due to Aging

Analysis with Directional Ultrasonic Doppler Method

Abstract

In order to clarifty the changes of arterial blood flow patterns due to aging, analysis of arterial blood flow patterns with the directional ultrasonic Doppler method were performed in 58 healthy normotensives of ages 15 to 75 with an average of 43.9 years (male 43, female 16).
Blood flow patterns were recorded in the common carotid, brachial, radial, femoral and dorsal arteries.
The results were obtoined as follows:
(1) The peak velocity (forward) in the common caratid, brachial, radial and femoral arteries decreased with age, espcially in the common carotid artery it decreased markedly.
(2) The inclination of firstl forward flow in the common carotid, brachial, radial and femoral arteris also decreased with age.
(3) The appeearance time (the time from Q wave in ECG to the beginning of the first forward flow phase) shortened with age in the brachial, radial, femoral and dorsal arteries.
(4) (a) In the common carotid, brachial and radial arteries the appearance of the midsystolic reverse flow phase in the young was more frequent than in the old and the peak velocity of the midsystolic reverse flow phase in the young was higher than in the old.
(b) The peak velocity of reverse flow phase between latesystole and early diastole decreased with age in the femoral artery.
(5) (a) In the common carotid artery the ratios S₂/S₁, I/S₁, D/S₁ and d/S₁ increased and D/S₂ decreased with age.
(b) In the brachial and radial arteries the ratio S₂/S₁ increased with age.
(c) In the femoral artery the ratio R/S and D/S decreased with age. The results described above was suggested that analysis of blood flow patterns with directional ultrasonic Doppler method is helpful in the evaluation of changes in cardiovasular system due to aging.