Arterial compliance: a diagnostic marker for atherosclerotic plaque burden?
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have shown atherogenesis to be related with increased vessel stiffness. Measures of the arterial compliance can be performed noninvasively from pressure pulse contour analysis of arterial waveforms. In this prospective study we aimed to analyze to what extent vessel compliance can reflect the angiographic coronary artery status.


METHODS
Large and small arterial elasticity indices (LAEI in milliliters per mm Hg x 10 and SAEI in milliliters per mm Hg x 100) were measured in 151 patients on the radial artery with the PulseWave Sensor HDI device. All patients were classified into diffuse-coronary artery disease (CAD) (defined as stenosis length >15 mm), focal-CAD (defined as stenosis length between 1 and 15 mm), or no-CAD.


RESULTS
We found both LAEI and SAEI to be reduced in the diabetic group (LAEI: 11.2 +/- 2.9 v 13.4 +/- 4.5, P =.006; SAEI: 3.7 +/- 1.6 v 4.7 +/- 2.4, P =.01). Inverse association was seen between age and LAEI (r = -0.41; P <.001) and SAEI (r = -0.38; P <.001). No-CAD was found in 31 patients, focal-CAD in 64 patients, and diffuse-CAD in 56 patients. Mean LAEI were 13.8 +/- 3.5, 13.7 +/- 4.7, and 11.3 +/- 3.5 in the groups no-CAD, focal-CAD, and diffuse-CAD, respectively (P =.004), (no-CAD versus diffuse-CAD: P =.04; focal-CAD versus diffuse-CAD: P =.009). Respective SAEI values were 5.6 +/- 2.5, 5.0 +/- 2.1, and 3.1 +/- 1.6 (P <.001), (no-CAD versus diffuse-CAD: P <.001; focal-CAD versus diffuse-CAD: P <.001). Multivariate analysis revealed SAEI (P <.001), hypercholesterolemia (P =.005), systolic blood pressure (BP) (P <.001), mean arterial BP (P <.001), pulse pressure (P =.003), and male gender (P =.001) to be diagnostic markers of the type of vessel disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Compliance measurements may be used for identification of patients with diffuse atherosclerotic processes of the coronary arteries.
Department of Internal Medicine II, Division of Cardiology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. bonni.syeda@akh-wien.ac.at
Bonni
B
Syeda
Michael
M
Gottsauner-Wolf
Stefan
S
Denk
Phillip
P
Pichler
Aliasghar
A
Khorsand
Dietmar
D
Glogar
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001317:Austria; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology