Cardio-ankle Vascular Index Research Articles

Issue of Waist Circumference for the Diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome Regarding Arterial Stiffness: Possible Utility of a Body Shape Index in Middle-Aged Nonobese Japanese Urban Residents Receiving Health Screening

Introduction: Abdominal obesity as a risk factor for diagnosing metabolic syndrome (MetS) is evaluated using waist circumference (WC), although WC does not necessarily reflect visceral adiposity. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify whether replacing WC with “A Body Shape Index (ABSI),” an abdominal obesity index, in MetS diagnosis detects individuals with arterial stiffening assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 46,872 Japanese urban residents (median age 40 years) who underwent health screening. Exclusion criteria were current treatments and a past history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Japanese, International Diabetes Federation, and NCEP-ATPIII criteria were used to diagnose MetS. High CAVI was defined as CAVI ≥9.0. Results: CAVI correlated positively with ABSI (β = 0.127), but negatively with WC (β = −0.186), independent of age, sex, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and high-density lipoprotein--cholesterol. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that ABSI had a stronger contribution to high CAVI (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.730) than WC (AUC = 0.595) and body mass index (AUC = 0.520). ABSI ≥0.080 was defined as abdominal obesity based on the results of ROC analysis for high CAVI and estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Logistic regression analysis revealed that replacing high WC with ABSI ≥0.080 in MetS diagnosis enhanced the detection of subjects with high CAVI. Discussion/Conclusion: Use of ABSI can detect subjects with arterial stiffening, which may lead to efficient stratification of CVD risk. Further studies are needed to confirm whether MetS diagnosis using ABSI predicts CVD morbidity and mortality.

Evaluation of the cardio-ankle vascular index in COVID-19 patients.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship and prognostic significance of cardio-ankle vascular index, which is a measure of arterial stiffness that can lead to endothelial dysfunction and poor cardiovascular issues in COVID-19 patients, with COVID-19. The study included 115 patients, of which 65 patients in the case group with Real time reversetranscription-polymerasechainreaction test positive and diagnosed for COVID-19 and 50 volunteers in the control group. Patients with COVID-19 were classified as moderate/severe or mild COVID-19 in the subgroup analysis based on the severity of the disease. We investigated the relationship between cardio-ankle vascular index and COVID-19 by using the VaSera VS-1000 device to automatically measure each patient's cardio-ankle vascular index and ankle-brachial pressure index. The mean age of participants included in the study was 65.7±10.7 years. Patients and volunteers were statistically similar in terms of age, gender, comorbidities, Charlson comorbidity index scores, and body mass index values (p>0.05). The right-cardio-ankle vascular index value was 9.6±2.4 in the case group and 8.5±1.1 in the control group (p=0.004). The left-cardio-ankle vascular index value was 9.4±2.7 in the case group and 8.5±1.2 in the control group (p=0.01). The right-cardio-ankle vascular index value was 10.8±3.4 in the moderate/severe disease group and 8.8±0.9 in the mild disease group (p=0.008). The left-cardio-ankle vascular index value was 10.7±3.6 in the moderate/severe disease group and 8.5±1.5 in the mild disease group (p<0.001). The right-cardio-ankle vascular index and left-cardio-ankle vascular index values were found to be significantly higher in COVID-19 patients in our study. When receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to distinguish moderate/severe COVID-19 patients from mild patients, right-cardio-ankle vascular index was area under the curve 0.757 (0.630-0.884), and left-cardio-ankle vascular index was area under the curve 0.782 (0.661-0.902). The right-cardio-ankle vascular index and left-cardio-ankle vascular index values increased in COVID-19 patients in our study, and this was thought to be prognostically significant.

Артериальная ригидность у пациентов с острым коронарным синдромом без стойкого подъема сегмента ST в сочетании с хронической болезнью почек и артериальной гипертензией и ее коррекция на фоне антигипертензивной терапии

Objective: to study arterial stiffness in patients with acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation, who have hypertension (AH) and stage 2-3A chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to assess the ability of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril and angiotensin receptor antagonist losartan to reduce arterial stiffness in these patients. Materials and Methods. We studied 44 patients with ACS without ST elevation combined with CKD stage 2-3A, AH (the 1st group). The comparison groups were the ACS without ST segment elevation, AH patients with normal renal function (the 2nd group, n=27) and the 3rd group (n=44) of patients with chronic CHD, AH and CKD. Group 1 patients were divided into 2 subgroups taking perindopril or losartan. The parameters of vascular wall stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), ankle brachial index (ABI), aortic augmentation index (AI), central systolic and pulse aortic pressure, peripheral blood pressure (BP), estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were assessed.) Results. The patients with ACS without ST elevation combined with 2-3A stages of CKD and AH had a significantly higher cPAP, AI, PWV, and CAVI than the patients of the 2nd group. During 3 months of complex therapy with perindopril, a decrease in PWV, cSAP, cPAP, AI was observed. There were no significant differences in the effects of perindopril and losartan on peripheral and central blood pressure, on renal function, on arterial stiffness parameters. Conclusion. Patients with AH and CKD stage 2-3A have more pronounced arterial stiffness compared to similar patients with normal GFR. Antihypertensive therapy with perindopril and losartan allows to reach target levels of peripheral BP, significantly reduce central aortic pressure and improve elastic properties of the arterial vascular wall.

Discrimination of vascular aging using the arterial pulse spectrum and machine-learning analysis.

Aging contributes to the progression of vascular dysfunction and is a major nonreversible risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of using arterial pulse-wave measurements, frequency-domain pulse analysis, and machine-learning analysis in distinguishing vascular aging. Radial pulse signals were measured noninvasively for 3 min in 280 subjects aged 40-80 years. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) was used to evaluate the arterial stiffness of the subjects. Forty frequency-domain pulse indices were used as features, comprising amplitude proportion (Cn), coefficient of variation of Cn, phase angle (Pn), and standard deviation of Pn (n = 1-10). Multilayer perceptron and random forest with supervised learning were used to classify the data. The detected differences were more prominent in the subjects aged 40-50 years. Several indices differed significantly between the non-vascular-aging group (aged 40-50 years; CAVI <9) and the vascular-aging group (aged 70-80 years). Fivefold cross-validation revealed an excellent ability to discriminate the two groups (the accuracy was >80%, and the AUC was >0.8). For subjects aged 50-60 and 60-70 years, the detection accuracies of the two trained algorithms were around 80%, with AUCs of >0.73 for both, which indicated acceptable discrimination. The present method of frequency-domain analysis may improve the index reliability for further machine-learning analyses of the pulse waveform. The present noninvasive and objective methodology may be meaningful for developing a wearable-device system to reduce the threat of vascular dysfunction induced by vascular aging.

Use of the Tokyo Cognitive Assessment for mild cognitive impairment to characterize elderly people that use day care services in Japan.

[Purpose] This study compared the motor skills and cognitive functions of elderly participants who required support with those who did not require support. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics of impairment in sub-items of cognitive function in patients who needed support to predict future clinical issues. [Participants and Methods] We surveyed 31 participants requiring support under the day care service insurance system for which they attended day care service centers in Japan (rehabilitation users) and 10 healthy participants who attended a university for lifelong learning (healthy elders). Data on personal attributes of the participants were collected, and the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and motor and cognitive functions were assessed. [Results] Although the participants undergoing rehabilitation were, on average, 6 years older than the healthy elders, we found no significant differences between the two groups in closed-eye, one-legged standing, grip strength, or quadriceps muscle strength. In terms of the Tokyo Cognitive Assessment for mild cognitive impairment, we found no significant differences between those undergoing rehabilitation and healthy elders in clock drawing performance, serial 7 task performance, or orientation; however, there were significant differences in erase character, copy of triangular pyramid, composition, read of digits, go/no-go, word recall, story reproduction, ToCA total score. [Conclusion] We believe that it is imperative for day care service centers to conduct programs that maintain cognitive function in addition to programs for improvement of physical function.

Association Between Number and Region of Aortic Calcifications and Cardio-ankle Vascular Index and Arteriosclerosis Risk Factors

Association Between Number and Region of Aortic Calcifications and Cardio-ankle Vascular Index and Arteriosclerosis Risk Factors

Ишемическая болезнь сердца у больных с пограничными стенозами коронарных артерий. Клинические фенотипы

Introduction. Patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and intermediate coronary artery stenosis are of great interest because, despite the absence of obstructive coronary artery lesion, the risk of cardiovascular complications is very high and is conditioned by a number of concomitant factors. Aim. Study of cardiovascular risk factors and assessment of clinical and angiographic picture in stable CAD patients with intermediate coronary artery stenosis of various clinical phenotypes. Materials and methods. 236 stable angina pectoris class I–III patients (190 men, 46 women, age 49–59 years) with intermediate (40–70%) coronary artery stenosis were examined. All patients underwent general clinical examination, ultrasound of the heart and coronary angiography. Based on the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) values, the chronological age/biological age coefficient was determined. The study design is a comparative non-randomized descriptive study of four parallel groups. Results. The prevailing phenotypes in CAD patients with intermediate (40–70%) coronary artery stenosis in a random sample turned out to be those with: CAD without a previous myocardial infarction (MI); CAD with MI &gt; 6 months ago; CAD with metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) phenotype without diabetes mellitus (DM) and, finally, CAD with type 2 DM. In CAD patients with MUO and type 2 DM, the frequency of previous MI did not significantly differ. In addition, patients with CAD and MUO, who had previously had MI, differed in the earliest age of its onset. Despite the 100% presence of arterial hypertension (AH) in different phenotypes groups, CAD and type 2 DM patients had the highest values of the left ventricular mass index. They also had the most frequently recorded multivessel lesion during coronary angiography. Despite the ongoing outpatient year-long treatment, the values of lipid and inflammatory parameters (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, C-reactive protein) were high, so, only in few patients the target values of LDL-C were reached; besides a large number of patients with insufficient blood pressure control were revealed. In more than half of the surveyed, the biological age prevailed over the chronological age. Conclusion. Stable angina patients with intermediate coronary artery stenosis represent a rather serious group in terms of prognosis. Despite the absence of vascular obstructive lesions, the risk of cardiovascular complications is conditioned by almost 100% presence of hypertension, high body mass index values, a significant frequency of obesity, dyslipidemia, carbohydrate metabolism disorders, and high biological age.

Regular exercise ball training reduces arterial stiffness in sedentary middle-aged males.

[Purpose] Reports suggest that static stretching, which improves body flexibility, could reduce arterial stiffness. Regular training using an exercise ball would increase flexibility in a different manner, compared to that from static stretching; however, it remains unclear whether such exercise can reduce arterial stiffness. This study aimed to clarify the effect of exercise ball training on arterial stiffness in sedentary middle-aged participants. [Participants and Methods] Fifteen healthy middle-aged males (age, 52 ± 12 years) were divided into a control group (n=7, CON) and an intervention group (n=8, INT). The CON group did not alter physical activity levels throughout the study period, while the INT group participated in supervised training sessions using an exercise ball for 20–30 min, 5 days/week, for a duration of 4 weeks. [Results] Exercise ball training significantly increased the sit-and-reach test score (CON, −3.8 ± 11.1% vs. INT, 33.8 ± 47.5%) and reduced cardio-ankle vascular index (CON, −0.8 ± 4.1% vs. INT, −5.7 ± 4.1%) and heart-ankle pulse wave velocity (CON, 1.6 ± 4.5% vs. INT, −4.2 ± 4.6%), as an index of arterial stiffness. [Conclusion] Four weeks of supervised training using an exercise ball as well as regular static stretching would increase body flexibility and reduce systemic arterial stiffness among sedentary middle-aged males.

FRailty and Arterial stiffness - the role of oXidative stress and Inflammation (FRAXI study).

Objective:There is an association between frailty and arterial stiffness. However, arterial stiffness does not uniformly correlate with the spectrum of frailty states. Both oxidative stress and inflammaging contribute to vascular ageing. There are no human studies exploring links between arterial stiffness, oxidative stress, inflammaging and frailty. Our objective is to investigate arterial stiffness and inflammaging as predictors of frailty states.Methods:An observational longitudinal cohort study will be used to examine the association between arterial stiffness, oxidative stress and inflammation in 50 older adults (⩾70 years) with clinical frailty scores (CFS) ⩽6 over 6 months. All study measurements will be taken at baseline. Frailty assessment will include hand-grip strength, timed-up and go test, mini-mental state examination, geriatric depression scale and sarcopenia using body composition measurements with Tanita®. Arterial stiffness measurements will include carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (crPWV) using Complior (Alam Medical, France). CAVI device will measure Cardio-ankle vascular index and ankle brachial index (ABI). Oxidative stress blood markers nitrotyrosine (NT) and 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosin (8-oxo-dG) and inflammation markers high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interlukin-6(IL-6) will be measured at baseline and 6 month along with lipid profile and glycated haemoglobin.Results (data analysis plan):Descriptive statistics for continuous data using means and standard deviations for normality distributed variables or medians and inter-quartile ranges for skewed variables will be used. Participants will be categorised into CFS 1-3, and CFS 4-6. Categorical data will use frequencies and comparison between groups. Change in frailty between the groups over 6 months will be compared using paired t-test. Simple linear regression will be done between frailty measures, arterial stiffness, inflammation and oxidative stress biomarkers. Significance will be at P < .05.Conclusion:This study data will inform a larger, multi-centre study exploring further the interplay between frailty, biomarkers and arterial stiffness parameters.

Assessment of Arterial Stiffness by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index for Prediction of Five-Year Cardiovascular Events After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery.

The study aim was to investigate the possibility of cardiovascular complications development predicting during a five-year follow-up of patients after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) assessment.Methods:Three hundred and fifty–six patients after elective CABG were enrolled in the study. Prior to surgery, arterial stiffness was assessed in all patients using CAVI. The follow-up was performed five years after the surgery, information was obtained on 238 patients, who were divided into two groups: patients with pathological (≥9.0, n = 88), and normal (<9.0, n = 150) CAVI.Results:Pathological CAVI (≥9.0) was detected in 33% patients before CABG, in stepwise analyses only age and left atrium dimensions statistically significantly predicted CAVI. In patients with pathological CAVI the combined endpoint (major adverse cardiovascular events and hospitalization) and cardiovascular death developed more often in a five-year follow-up after CABG compared with normal CAVI (48.86% versus 34.9%, p = 0.034 and 4.55% versus 0.67%, p = 0.049, respectively). Pathological CAVI (p = 0.021) and the number of coronary bypass grafts (p = 0.023) were independent factors associated with the combined endpoint.Conclusions:Patients with pathological CAVI before CABG surgery are more likely to develop cardiovascular complications and cardiovascular death within a subsequent five-year follow-up. Evaluation of CAVI after CABG in dynamics deserves further study, it is important for monitoring the effects of secondary prevention and the possibility of influencing the prognosis.

Comparison of the usefulness of the cardio-ankle vascular index and augmentation index as an index of arteriosclerosis in patients with essential hypertension.

Arteriosclerosis leads to various serious diseases that substantially reduce the quality of life. When treating hypertension, it is important to evaluate the degree of arteriosclerosis. In recent years, the cardio-ankle vascular index and augmentation index have been frequently used as indicators of arterial wall sclerosis. However, the superiority of either the cardio-ankle vascular index or the augmentation index as an index of arteriosclerosis remains unclear. Therefore, the present study compared the usefulness of these two indices as an index of arteriosclerosis. Associations between the cardio-ankle vascular index or augmentation index and risk factors for arteriosclerosis and other indices of arteriosclerosis in 535 consecutive patients with essential hypertension were evaluated. The cardio-ankle vascular index was significantly correlated with age, hemoglobin A1c, brain natriuretic peptide, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. In contrast, the augmentation index showed significant correlations only with age, brain natriuretic peptide, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. In addition, these correlations with the augmentation index were generally weaker than those with the cardio-ankle vascular index. The cardio-ankle vascular index, but not the augmentation index, was significantly correlated with flow-mediated dilation, an index of vascular endothelial function, and carotid intima-media thickness, an index of carotid atherosclerosis. Similar results were observed in subgroups stratified by sex and age. These data indicate that the cardio-ankle vascular index is more closely associated with risk factors for arteriosclerosis and other indices of arteriosclerosis than the augmentation index, suggesting that the cardio-ankle vascular index may be superior to the augmentation index as an index of arteriosclerosis.

Correlation between cardiac index(CI) and cardio ankle vascular index(CAVI) at different degrees of head up tilt table

Background: Cardio Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), a new index for arterial stiffness that can be measured by VaSera VS-1000 CAVI device. This is a new method for estimating the level of arteriosclerosis, which is relatively uninfluenced by changes of blood pressure. An association between some arterial fitness indices and cardiac function has been recently demonstrated. CI: is Cardiodynamic measure based on the Cardiac output (CO)which is normalized according to body size ,this is gained by dividing CO on body surface area. Aim: To establish if any significant interrelationship exists between indexed cardiac output (CI) and Cardio ankle vascular Index (CAVI). Further, to introduce a new index as a haemodynemic parameter, notably CI/CAVI. . Method: This study was carried out at Dr.Akeel Zwain private clinic, on 20 healthy male volunteers of a mean age of 30±5 year and BMI of 23.1±1.1 Kg/m². Measurement of cardiac output (CO) is accomplished by estimation of aortic diameter (D) and calculating the velocity time integral (VTI) of aortic flow by Doppler echocardiography, then utilizing the equation: CO=(VTI*D2 *0.785)*heart rate. Measurement of arterial stiffness index (CAVI) can be generated by VaSeraVS-1000 device. A motorized tilting table of incremental degrees; at 0º, 30º and 60º of head up tilt (HUT), was used to bring about peripheral sympathetic outflow modifications, together with postural changes in stroke volume, hence CO and CI. Results: This study demonstrated that there was a statistical significant negative correlation between CI and the degree of head up tilt. CI is significantly decreased relative to increase of HUT degree, in a stepwise manner; CI is significantly lower at 30 and 60 degrees than that at zero degree, (Pearson's correlation coefficient: r=0.63 for 0ºand 30º; r=0.81 for 0ºand 60º, p&lt;0.001 for both; r= 0.71for 30ºand 60º; p&lt;0.05 ). On the other hand, CAVI showed a statistical significant positive correlation relative to the degree of HUT. CAVI was significantly increased, in a stepwise fashion, at 30 and 60 degrees, than that at supine zero degree (Pearson's correlation coefficient: r =0.88 for 0º and 30º; r=0.83 for 0ºand 60º; r=0.81 for 30º and 60º ; p&lt;0.001 for all). Correlation between CI and CAVI at different degrees of HUT was studied, the results demonstrated a significant negative correlation exists between CI and CAVI (r = - 0.47; p&lt;0.05). The result of dividing the two indexes, by each other, CI/CAVI, yielded significant inverse inter relationship with respect to degree of HUT; being lower at 30ºand 60º than that obtained at 0ºtilt. It was significantly lower, in a slope wise pattern, at 60º than that at 30º of tilt (r =0.65 for 0º and 30º; r =0.78, for 0º and 60º; r =0.68, for 30º and 60º; p&lt;0.001 for all). Conclusion: the present investigation reveals an inverse interrelationship between CI and CAVI; a decrease of CI is consistently associated with an increase of CAVI. A new index CI/CAVI may be proposed; it can be employed to early detect subclinical atherosclerosis impact on cardiac muscle pump function. This new integrated parameter could possibly serve for fitness assessment, and for cardiovascular risk stratification. Abbreviations: CAVI, cardio ankle vascular index; HUT: head up tilt; CI: cardiac index; CO: cardiac output; VTI: velocity time integral ; D: aortic diameter; SV ,stroke volume; HR, heart rate; Dd :change of diameter ; PS, systolic pressure ; Pd, diastolic pressure

Thoracic Aorta Diameter Calculation by Artificial Intelligence Can Predict the Degree of Arterial Stiffness

Background: Arterial aging is characterized by decreased vascular function, caused by arterial stiffness (AS), and vascular morphological changes, caused by arterial dilatation. We analyzed the relationship of pre-AS and AS, as assessed by cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI), with arterial diameters (AD) at nine levels, from the aortic sinus to the abdominal aorta, as measured by artificial intelligence (AI) on non-enhanced chest computed tomography (CT) images.Methods: Overall, 801 patients who underwent both chest CT scan and arterial elasticity test were enrolled. Nine horizontal diameters of the thoracic aorta (from the aortic sinuses of Valsalva to the abdominal aorta at the celiac axis origin) were measured by AI using CT. Patients were divided into non-AS (mean value of the left and right CAVIs [M.CAVI] < 8), pre-AS (8 ≤ M.CAVI < 9), and AS (M.CAVI ≥ 9) groups. We compared AD differences among groups, analyzed the correlation of age, ADs, and M.CAVI or the mean pressure-independent CAVI (M.CAVI0), Furthermore, we evaluated the risk predictors and the diagnostic value of the nine ADs for pre-AS and AS.Results: The AD at mid descending aorta (MD) correlated strongest with CAVI (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) or M.CAVI0 (r = 0.42, p < 0.001). M.CAVI was most affected by the MD AD and by age. An increase in the MD AD independently predicted the occurrence of pre-AS or AS. For MD AD, every 4.37 mm increase caused a 14% increase in the pre-AS and AS risk and a 13% increase in the AS risk. With a cut-off value of 26.95 mm for the MD AD, the area under the curve (AUC) for identifying the risk of AS was 0.743. With a cut-off value of 25.15 mm, the AUC for identifying the risk of the stage after the prophase of AS is 0.739.Conclusions: Aging is associated with an increase in AD and a decrease in arterial elasticity. An increase in AD, particularly at the MD level is an independent predictor of AS development.

The Association of Blood Glucose Levels and Arterial Stiffness (Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index) in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus causes a major burden on healthcare systems all around the world. It has been documented that type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with long-term vascular complications including micro-vascular, macro-vascular, and mixed-vascular disorders. Several studies have concluded that the increment of arterial wall stiffness is correlated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular adverse events and the mortality associated with it.Aims: This study purposed to evaluate the arterial stiffness measurements, using Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), in T2DM patients, and the relationship with the fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and other factors that may increase the risk of elevated arterial stiffness in T2DM patients.Methodology: A total of 200 patients were recruited from the outpatient setting at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al Khobar. A total of 181 patients fit the inclusion criteria. The charts of the patients who fit the inclusion criteria were reviewed and data related to age, gender, body mass index, smoking history, FBG, HbA1c levels, blood pressure (mmHg) measurements, and CAVI scores were collected.Results: The elevation in CAVI readings was noted to be more prominent in the senior age group. Hypertensive patients also showed a significant increase in CAVI readings. In addition, higher CAVI readings were more associated with the male gender rather than females. All of which showed a significant correlation. Furthermore, although it was not significant, higher FBG levels and HbA1c readings were correlated with higher CAVI readings.Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that factors like age, smoking status, gender, and the increase in blood pressure as well as the increase in blood glucose levels are correlated with higher CAVI readings in T2DM patients. This demonstrates their important effect on arterial wall stiffness while showing that CAVI can be used in predicting the prognosis of arterial wall health in patients with diabetes.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Hemodynamic Measures as Determinants of Increased Arterial Stiffness Following Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

Valvular and arterial function are tightly intertwined, both in terms of structural changes and hemodynamics. While proximal valvulo-vascular coupling contributes to the cardiovascular consequences of aortic stenosis, less is known on how peripheral arterial stiffness relates to aortic valve disease. Previous studies have shown conflicting results regarding the impact of aortic valve replacement on arterial stiffness. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine predictors of arterial stiffness in patients with and without aortic valve disease undergoing cardiac surgery. Cardio ankle vascular index (CAVI) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) were measured to determine arterial stiffness the day before and 3 days after surgery for either ascending aortic or aortic valve disease. Stratification on indication for surgery revealed that CAVI was significantly lower in patients with aortic valve stenosis (n = 45) and aortic valve regurgitation (n=30) compared with those with isolated ascending aortic dilatation (n = 13). After surgery, a significant increased CAVI was observed in aortic stenosis (median 1.34, IQR 0.74–2.26, p < 0.001) and regurgitation (median 1.04, IQR 0.01–1.49, p = 0.003) patients while cfPWV was not significantly changed. Age, diabetes, low body mass index, low pre-operative CAVI, as well as changes in ejection time were independently associated with increased CAVI after surgery. The results of the present study suggest aortic valve disease as cause of underestimation of arterial stiffness when including peripheral segments. We report cardiovascular risk factors and pinpoint the hemodynamic aspect ejection time to be associated with increased CAVI after aortic valve surgery.

Cardio-ankle vascular index of increased arterial wall stiffness is associated with neurocognitive impairment in well-controlled HIV.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) remain prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) despite widespread use of combined antiretroviral therapy (ART). Vascular disease contributes to the pathogenesis of HAND, but traditional vascular risk factors do not fully explain the relation between vascular disease and HAND. A more direct measure of vascular dysfunction is needed. This cross-sectional study tested whether the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a novel method to assess arterial stiffness, is associated with HAND among PLWH. Participants included 75 non-diabetic adults with well-controlled HIV from an outpatient HIV clinic. We assessed the relation between CAVI and neurocognitive impairment (NCI). The latter was primarily characterized by the Frascati criteria and secondarily (posthoc) using the Global Deficit Score (GDS). Logistic regression models tested whether high CAVI (≥8) was independently associated with NCI when controlling for potential confounders. Participants (Mage =45.6±8.3years; 30.1% male) had few traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (hypertension, n=7; dyslipidaemia, n=34; body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 , n=12; smoking history, n=13; 2.2% mean 10-year risk of CVD or stroke). Twelve (16%) participants had high CAVI, which was independently associated with meeting Frascati criteria for NCI [n=39, odds ratio (OR) =7.6, p=0.04], accounting for age, education, gender, income, CD4 nadir, recent CD4 and traditional CVD risk factors. High CAVI was also associated with NCI as reflected by higher GDS (OR =17.4, p=0.02). Cardio-ankle vascular index is a promising measure of vascular dysfunction that may be independently associated with NCI in relatively healthy PLWH. Larger studies should test the utility of CAVI in predicting NCI/decline in PLWH.

The Role of Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index as a Predictor of Mortality in Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis

AimMortality rate of maintenance hemodialysis patients is known to be high. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is an index reflecting the proper stiffness of the arterial tree from the origin of the aorta to the ankle. We aimed to clarify the utility of CAVI as a predictor of mortality in hemodialysis patients. The roles of age and nutritional conditions on survival were also examined.MethodsWe followed 242 patients undergoing hemodialysis for 6 consecutive years. Data from 209 patients (mean age was 60 ± 11 years) excluding those with ankle-brachial index <0.90 were then analyzed. CAVI and heart to ankle pulse wave velocity (haPWV) were measured using Vasera 1500.ResultsThirty-eight hemodialysis patients who died during the 6-year period had higher age, cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), CAVI, and haPWV, and lower diastolic blood pressure, albumin, phosphate, and calcium phosphate product. The Kaplan–Meier curves for cumulative survival among the tertile groups showed that the mortality rate was higher in the highest tertile (T3) compared to T1/T2 for both CAVI and haPWV. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that CAVI had better discriminatory power for all-cause mortality compared to haPWV. In the Cox-proportional hazards analyses, 1 SD increase in both parameters contributed independently to all-cause mortality [CAVI: HR 1.595 (95% CI 1.108–2.297), haPWV: HR 1.695 (95% CI 1.185–2.425)], as well as age and CTR. Both parameters above the cut-offs estimated in the ROC analysis (CAVI ≥ 9.2, haPWV ≥ 8.9) also had independent contributions to mortality.ConclusionThrough the 6 consecutive years of follow-up in 209 HD patients, increased CAVI might represent a major modifiable risk factor for all-cause mortality. Further research is needed to examine whether CAVI-lowering interventions contribute to improved prognosis.

A body shape index could serve to identify individuals with metabolic syndrome and increased arterial stiffness in the middle-aged population.

A body shape index (ABSI) is a novel anthropometric measure calculated using waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and body height. This study investigated the usefulness of ABSI to identify individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and increased arterial stiffness in the middle-aged population. Middle-aged workers who underwent periodic health check-ups and who were without previous cardiovascular events were enrolled (n=10,182). In addition to ABSI, visceral fat area (VFA) was evaluated using computed tomography. Obesity and MetS were diagnosed on the basis of WC, VFA, and ABSI. Arterial stiffness was examined by measuring the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). ABSI was significantly associated with CAVI in multivariable regression analysis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that ABSI was independently associated with the presence of MetS diagnosed on the basis of WC or VFA after adjustment for potential confounders, including BMI. Subjects with MetS diagnosed on the basis of each obesity index showed higher CAVI values than those without. Among subjects with MetS diagnosed on the basis of WC or VFA, those with MetS who met the definition of ABSI obesity showed significantly higher CAVI than those who did not. The other logistic regression analysis demonstrated that CAVI was independently associated with MetS defined on the basis of ABSI. ABSI was significantly associated with CAVI and the presence of MetS in the middle-aged population and helped to discriminate individuals with MetS and increased CAVI. ABSI could serve to identify individuals with MetS and increased arterial stiffness.

Determining the Relationship between Triglycerides and Arterial Stiffness in Cardiovascular Risk Patients Without Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy.

Data examining the relationship between arterial stiffness and triglyceride (TG) and other cardiovascular risk factors have remained to be sparse.Of the 5,109 patients with any cardiovascular risk factors in the Cardiovascular Prognostic Coupling Study in Japan (the Coupling Registry), the data of 1,534 patients who had no history of cardiovascular disease and were without low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) -lowering therapy (average age 67.9 ± 12.0 years, 55% males) were analyzed. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). Among the clinical and behavioral cardiovascular risk factors, the significant factors that constituted the CAVI value were smoking, diabetes, lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and higher TG. After adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI), only TG (odds ratio [OR] per 1 standard deviation, 1.26 [95% confidence interval, 1.12-1.44]) and diabetes (OR, 1.52 [1.22-1.90]) were found to be associated with a risk of higher CAVI (≥ 9.0). TG (C-statistic, 0.80 [0.78-0.82]; P = 0.040) and diabetes (C-statistic, 0.80 [0.78-0.82]; P = 0.038) significantly improved the discrimination of the risk of a higher CAVI beyond the model that included age, sex, and BMI.TG was associated with a risk of arterial stiffness, and its contribution was slight but almost the same as that of diabetes among patients who had cardiovascular risk without a history of cardiovascular disease and LDL-C-lowering therapy.

Relationship between the volume of perivascular adipose tissue and the vascular wall lesion

Aim. To study the relationship between the volume of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and the vascular wall lesion.Material and methods. The study included 318 patients without cardiovascular disease (mean age, 63,5±13,7 years). Hypertension was detected in 268 (84,3%) patients. All patients underwent assessment of anthropometric characteristics, lipid profile, arterial wall stiffness with the estimation of cardio-ankle vascular index, intima-media thickness, brachial artery endothelial vasomotor function. Chest computed tomography was performed with the estimation of the volumes of PVAT and pericardial adipose tissue (PAT).Results. The volume of PVAT, on average, was 0,3 [0,2; 0,4] cm3 . The VAT volume was significantly higher in obese individuals when compared with patients with normal body weight: 0,4 [0,3; 0,5] vs 0,25 [0,2; 0,4] cm3 (p=0,0007). The VAT volume was higher in individuals with an increased CAVI level when compared with patients with normal CAVI values: 0,4 [0,3; 0,5] vs 0,3 [0,25; 0,3] (p=0,02). A significant correlation was found between the VAT volume and body mass index (r=0,27, p&lt;0,005), waist circumference (r=0,41, p&lt;0,005), CAVI (r=0,49, p&lt;0,05), impaired endothelium-dependent brachial artery vasodilation (r=0,38, p&lt;0,05). When performing multiple linear regression, a significant relationship of CAVI was found with age (β±SE, 0,51±0,15; p=0,002) and volume of PVAT (β±SE, 0,41±0,13; p=0,005).Conclusion. The results indicate the relationship of PVAT with visceral obesity and vascular wall stiffness parameters.