Arterial wave reflection is associated with severity of extracoronary atherosclerosis in patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Arterial wave reflection is a major determinant of left ventricular function, coronary perfusion and cardiovascular risk. We investigated whether arterial wave reflection may detect atherosclerosis of peripheral arteries in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD).


METHODS
Radial artery applanation tonometry and pulse wave analysis was performed in 184 patients with documented CAD at coronary angiography; central blood pressures and augmentation index (AI) were measured. Ankle-brachial (ABI) index and intima-media thickness (IMT) were used as indices of atherosclerosis of the lower limbs and the carotid arteries respectively.


RESULTS
Patients with abnormal IMT (> 0.7 mm, first tertile) or ABI (< 0.94, first tertile) had higher AI than patients with lower IMT or higher ABI (24 +/- 17 versus 17 +/- 16% and 23 +/- 18 versus 18 +/- 13%, respectively, P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, increasing AI was associated with age, female gender, heart rate, mean blood pressure, hyperlipidaemia, and use of statins (regression coefficient (beta) = 0.50, beta = 0.15, beta = -0.60, beta = 0.23, beta = 0.16 and beta = -0.14, respectively, P < 0.05). Increasing AI was associated with an adjusted-odds ratio of 1.035 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.005-1.066], P = 0.02 for an abnormal IMT and of 1.08 (95% CI, 1.024-1.146), P = 0.005 for ABI after adjustment for age, gender, heart rate, height, blood pressure, atherosclerotic risk factors, obesity and medication. No relation was found between AI and Gensini score or for the number of diseased coronary vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
Augmentation index is a marker of extensive extracoronary atherosclerosis in patients with CAD.
Lekakis
John P
JP
Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, University of Athens, Greece. lekakis@tellas.gr
Ikonomidis
Ignatios
I
Protogerou
Athanasios D
AD
Papaioannou
Theodoros G
TG
Stamatelopoulos
Kimon
K
Papamichael
Christos M
CM
Mavrikakis
Myron E
ME
D000368:Aged; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index