title: Assessment of arterial stiffness index as a clinical parameter for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility and usefulness of the arterial stiffness index (ASI) measured non-invasively by computerized oscillometry and by comparing it with the pulse wave velocity (PWV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group comprised 60 consutive patients who underwent coronary angiography and whose aorto-femoral PWV were obtained with a Judkins catheter. The ASI was obtained using Cardio Vision MS-2000 (IMDP, Las Vegas, NV, USA): (i) baseline (ASI-B); (ii) hyperemia induced by compression of the arm with cuff pressure for 5 min (ASI-H); and (iii) sublingual nitroglycerin (ASI-N). In total, 34 patients had significant coronary artery disease (CAD). The PWV and all ASI were higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD (ASI-B, 85.9+/-57.8 vs 48.2+/-24.5, p=0.001; ASI-H, 98.1+/-49.8 vs 48.1+/-21.3, p<0.01; ASI-N, 66.7+/-55.7 vs 33.2+/-27.9, p=0.002). However, only ASI-B and ASI-H were positively correlated to the PWV (ASI-B, r=0.27, p=0.03; ASI-H, r=0.49, p=0.001; ASI-N, r=0.19, p=0.16). The ASI was increased after hyperemia in patients with CAD (ASI-H, 85.9+/-57.8 to 98.1+/-49.8, p=0.01), but not in patients without CAD (ASI-H, 48.2+/-24.5 to 48.1+/-21.3, p>0.01). After adjusting their age, only ASI-H was correlated to the presence of CAD (r=0.33, p<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is feasible and useful to use the ASI for detection of atherosclerotic coronary disease. The findings of ASI-H suggests that in addition to stiffening of the arterial wall itself, the impairment of flow mediated vasodilation, because of endothelial dysfunction, further increases the arterial stiffness.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Medical college, Seoul.
authors.forename: Seong-Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hong-Seog
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Hong-Euy
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sung-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Chang-Gyu
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong-Joo
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Young-Moo
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000473:pathology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009991:Oscillometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods