title: Stroke and cardio-ankle vascular stiffness index.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the relationship between stroke and cardio-ankle vascular stiffness index (CAVI), a novel noninvasive measure of vascular stiffness.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five patients with cerebrovascular disease who underwent CAVI were enrolled in the current study. They were 63 men and 22 women with a mean age of 70.0 ± 10.8 years. They were divided into 4 groups according to neurologic abnormalities and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings: 12 with transient ischemic attack (TIA), 26 with white matter ischemic lesions (WMLs), 17 with large artery atherosclerosis, and 30 with small vessel occlusion. Eight hundred fifty-four healthy patients (487 men and 367 women; mean age 65.1 ± 9.4 years) served as controls. The results were stratified by gender and age and statistically analyzed using the Fisher, Bonferroni-Dunn, and Scheffe tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average of CAVI was as follows: control males 60 to 69 years of age, 9.05 ± 0.82 (as a representative value); TIA, 9.3 ± 1.5; WML, 10.3 ± 1.3; large artery atherosclerosis, 10.2 ± 1.2; and small vessel occlusion, 10.0 ± 1.6, respectively. The difference in CAVI between each group and age- and gender-matched controls was 0.492 for TIA (no statistical significance); WML, 0.733 (P < .001, and P = .002 Scheffe); large artery atherosclerosis, 0.838 (P < .001, and P = .005 Scheffe); and small vessel occlusion, 1.034 (P < .001), respectively. Linear regression analysis of CAVI and plaque score revealed a significant relationship in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with healthy control subjects, CAVI is statistically greater in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, particularly with WML, large artery atherosclerosis, and small vessel occlusion, but not in patients with TIA. CAVI had a clear relationship with carotid ultrasound plaque score. It appears that CAVI is a simple and noninvasive test for indicating atherosclerosis in patients with stroke.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Physiology Unit, Sakura Medical Center, Toho University, Sakura, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sakakibara
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomaru
authors.forename: Fuyuki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tateno
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kishi
authors.forename: Emina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurosu
authors.forename: Kohji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D003935:Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002537:Intracranial Arteriosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012016:Reference Values; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*