title: Relation between aortic stiffness and coronary flow reserve in patients with coronary artery disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relation between aortic stiffness and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coronary care unit of a primary care hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  192 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV), CFR, and severity of CAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the angiographic findings, patients were divided into four subgroups: patients without significant stenosis (normal coronary artery (NCA) group, n = 28) and those with one vessel disease (1VD group, n = 92), two vessel disease (2VD group, n = 50), or three vessel disease (3VD group, n = 22). ba-PWV increased with the number of diseased vessels and was significantly correlated with the number of diseased vessels (NCA group v 1VD group v 2VD group v 3VD group: 1481 (252) v 1505 (278) v 1577 (266) v 1727 (347) cm/s, p < 0.001). CFR had a significant negative correlation with ba-PWV (r = -0.45, p < 0.0001). The diastolic to systolic velocity ratio obtained in 45 patients also was significantly correlated with ba-PWV (r = -0.35, p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that ba-PWV was an independent determinant of CFR (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coronary flow is altered with aortic stiffening in patients with CAD. These results suggest one possible mechanism for recent reports that aortic stiffness is a key cardiovascular risk factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3, Asahimachi, Abenoku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. daiju@qg7.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshiyama
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamimori
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawarabayashi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology