Cardio-ankle vascular index is independently associated with the severity of coronary atherosclerosis and left ventricular function in patients with ischemic heart disease.
OBJECTIVE
The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) has been proposed as a new noninvasive marker of arterial stiffness independent of blood pressure. We investigated the association of the CAVI with coronary atherosclerosis and left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).


METHODS
A total of 206 consecutive subjects undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled. CAVI measurement and echocardiography were performed simultaneously. Patients having significant coronary stenosis were classified into the IHD group.


RESULTS
CAVI in the IHD group (n=133) was significantly higher than in the non-IHD group(n=73)(9.1+/-1.3 vs. 8.7+/-1.2, p=0.02). In all IHD patients, CAVI was negatively correlated with LV ejection fraction (LVEF)(r=-0.31, p<0.01), LV mass index (r=0.24, p<0.01) and angiographic scores of coronary atherosclerosis. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that CAVI was independently associated with LVEF, along with a history of myocardial infarction, LV mass index, and left atrial diameter in all IHD patients (p<0.01). In the sub-analysis of IHD patients with preserved LVEF, CAVI was correlated with echocardiographic parameters regarding LV diastolic function. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the increased CAVI was significantly associated with LV diastolic dysfunction in patients with preserved LVEF.


CONCLUSIONS
CAVI, a new parameter of aortic stiffness, was independently associated with LV systolic and diastolic function as well as coronary artery disease in IHD patients.
Miyoshi
Toru
T
Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. miyoshit@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
Doi
Masayuki
M
Hirohata
Satoshi
S
Sakane
Kosuke
K
Kamikawa
Shigeshi
S
Kitawaki
Tomoki
T
Kaji
Youko
Y
Kusano
Kengo Fukushima
KF
Ninomiya
Yoshifumi
Y
Kusachi
Shozo
S
D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left