Subject Body Mass Index Affects Doppler Waveform in Celiac Artery by Duplex Ultrasound

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on peak systolic velocity (PSV) recording in the celiac artery (CA).

Forty male participants were entered prospectively into the study. The subjects were divided into two groups according to their body mass index. Group A included subjects with BMI ≤25 Kg/m² and those in group B with BMI >25 Kg/m². The diameter and PSV at the origin of CA of subjects in both groups were recorded while the subject positioned in supine and during expiration phase and fasted for 4 hours using duplex ultrasound. Both groups were matched for age and sex. Independent Student’s t-test was used to test if there is any statistical significance between diameter and PSV in both groups.

Group A’s, average age (year, ±SD) was 29.35±1.35 and average BMI (Kg/m², ±SD) was 23.1±1.60. Group B’s, average age was 30±2.1 and their average BMI was 31±5.1. The average diameter (cm, ±SD) of CA in group A was 0.66±0.076 and in group B was 0.80±0.066. However, the average PSV (cm/s, ±SD) was 117±28.1 in group A and 102±12.4 in group B. Independent student t-test showed statistical significance between both groups for the diameter (p=0.005) and just reached statistical significance for PSV (p=0.049).

Subjects with higher BMI showed reduced PSV due to a larger CA diameter and probably due to more fatty tissue accumulation around the CA origin.