title: Clinical significance and reproducibility of new arterial distensibility index.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is used to evaluate the degree of atherosclerosis and arterial distensibility, but its major limitation is that it is affected by changes in blood pressure (BP) during measurement. Recently, a new atherosclerotic index, the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), has been developed by measuring PWV and BP. CAVI is adjusted for BP based on the stiffness parameter beta and should measure arterial stiffness independent of BP. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of CAVI compared with baPWV, the reproducibility of the measurement of CAVI, and the effect of BP changes on CAVI and baPWV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand and thirty-three consecutive subjects undergoing health checkups were studied. CAVI was automatically calculated from the pulse volume record, BP, and the vascular length from heart to ankle. In this general population, both baPWV and CAVI demonstrated a positive correlation with age and systolic BP (SBP). CAVI showed a weaker correlation with SBP than baPWV. The measurement of CAVI demonstrated good reproducibility and was not affected by the increase in BP during measurement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CAVI is a useful index of arterial distensibility and is not influenced by BP changes during measurement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Metabolic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kubozono
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Kiyo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueyama
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagaki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otsuji
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusano
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kubozono
authors.forename: Chuwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D001916:Brachial Artery; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000502:physiology; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index