Background: Arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) or pulse wave analysis (PWA) is now an established risk factor for future cardiovascular events in both general population and hypertensives. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of carotid strain measurement as a new echocardiographic measure of arterial stiffness in both controls and hypertensives. Methods: A total of 42 patients with isolated HT (20 males, 52.7짹11.3 years) and 20 normal controls (12 males, 43.6짹15.0 years) were enrolled. PWV and PWA variables were measured as standard measures of arterial stiffness. Carotid artery scanning was performed at the level of mid-common carotid artery, and circumferential strain (CS) was measured. Results: CS was significantly decreased in hypertensives than in controls (4.2짹2.0% vs 6.8짹3.6%, p=0.001). Overall, CS showed significant negative correlation with age (r=-0.804, p<0.01), heart-femoral PWV (HFPWV, r=-0.576, p<0.01), brachial-ankle PWV (BAPWV, r=-0.614, p<0.01), augmentation index (AI, r=-0.581, p<0.01), augmentation pressure (AP, r=-0.461, p<0.01), systolic blood pressure (SBP, r=-0.254, p<0.05), central SBP (r=-0.309, p<0.05), central pulse pressure (PP, r=-0.353, p<0.01). The comparison of the correlation between CS and other parameters according to the presence of hypertension was summarized in the table. CS showed significant correlation with age and PWV variables, but showed weak correlation with PWA variables. Conclusion: CS measured by 2D speckle tracking method showed significant correlation with aging and the parameters of arterial stiffness in both controls and hypertensives. PWV variables showed better correlation with CS than PWV variables. The present study suggested that CS would be a useful new echocardiographic measure of arterial stiffness.