Fig. 6: The application of CCBs limited aortic regression in patients with Type B Aortic Dissection Patients following endovascular therapy.

a The representative computed tomography angiography (CTA) images of the thoracic aorta in patients with TBAD, showing the condition before (left) and after (right) the application of the covered stent graft system-Weflow-Tbranch^TM (a single-embedded branch thoracic aortic covered stent graft system) for endovascular repair. b Patient screening flowchart. c The representative CTA images of a patient before TEVAR surgery show the segmentation of the aorta. Zone 3 (2 cm distal to the left subclavian artery, shown in blue), zone 4 (from the left subclavian artery to the mid - point of the descending thoracic aorta, shown in yellow), and zone 5 (from the mid - point of the DTA to the superior border of the celiac artery, shown in purple). d The growth rates of aortic diameter/volume of patients one and two years after TEVAR surgery. Growth rate (%) = (post-diameter/volume - pre-diameter/volume) / pre - diameter/volume. e, f Adjusted difference of aortic diameters (e), and volumes (f) at pre-TEVAR and 1, 6, 12, 24 months after TEVAR (CCBs use vs. other antihypertensive medication). Data presentation: Data in (d) are presented as the mean ± SEM. Each data point represents an individual patient as a biological replicate with similar results. The sample sizes per group were CCB use (n = 68), other antihypertensive medication (n = 25) for 1-year post-TEVAR and CCB use (n = 44), other antihypertensive medication (n = 14) for 2-year post-TEVAR. Exact n at each time point is provided in the Source Data file. Data in (e, f) are presented as: squares represented β value and error bars represented 95% CIs. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis of (d) were performed using two-sided Student’s T test. Statistical analysis of (e, f) were performed using two-sided generalized linear mix-effects model adjusted for age (years), sex (men; women), systolic blood pressure (mmHg), family history of cardiovascular disease (yes; no), diabetes (yes; no), hyperlipidemia (yes; no), coronary heart disease (yes; no), false lumen length grades (1–8), total false lumen thrombus score (0;1;2;3 levels for each zone and plus all zones for total score), distal tear numbers (zones 5–9), first tear diameter (mm), and time interactions with CCBs. P-values were present in the figure and detailed information refer to source data. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. TEVAR thoracic endovascular aortic repair. TBAD type B aortic dissection, CCB calcium channel blocker, CTA computed tomography angiography.