To establish the ultrasonographic criteria for normal size of infrarenal aorta (IRA) and common iliac arteries (CIA) of young males in a Chinese school and to determine the associations between IRA diameter (IRAD) and CIA diameter (CIAD) and body habitus as well as traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Cross-sectional study was done of 203 Chinese young males enrolled from a technical school in Beijing Changping district from May to June 2013. The IRA and CIA scans were carried out using ultrasonography. Longitudinal scans were used to assess aortic morphology and tortuosity. The maximum internal anteroposterior IRAD and CIAD in any area of the arteries were measured during the cardiac cycle. Participants information on demographic, medical history, smoking history and alcohol consumption was obtained through unified questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate linear regression was used to determine the associations between arterial diameter and body habitus as well as other risk factors.

The median participants age was 21.5 (ranging from 18 to 28) years. The IRAD was (13.4±1.9) mm, and the CIAD was (9.4±1.6) mm. There was no significant difference between the left and right CIAD. Waist circumference was significantly associated with increasing IRAD (P=0.03), while alcohol had an inverse correlation (P=0.04). Age, hip circumference were significantly associated with increasing CIAD (P=0.00, 0.04), while the systolic pressure and alcohol had inverse correlations (P=0.01, 0.00). By dividing the entire group into equal four groups using quartile values for both age and waist/hip circumference, the older group and the larger waist/hip circumference had greater arterial diameter.

The enrolled Chinese young males have smaller IRAD and CIAD compared with foreign older population. Age, waist circumference, hip circumference, alcohol and systolic pressure have statistically significance but small effects on arterial diameter.

Aorta, abdominal; Iliac arteries; Diameter; Ultrasonography