title: Aortic augmentation index in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
abstract: Aortic augmentation index (AIx) is used to investigate arterial stiffness. The authors tested the hypothesis that patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) demonstrate a higher AIx and also evaluated several related factors. In 97 patients with PAD, identified by ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI ≤ 0.9), and 97 controls (ABPI ≥ 0.91< 1.4), AIx (%) was determined using tonometry of the radial artery. There was no significant difference between patients and controls in characteristics of age, sex, height, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure, and heart rate. AIx was higher in patients with PAD (32 ± 9 vs 28 ± 9; P = .001). In multivariate regression analysis, AIx was independently associated with heart rate (β = -0.40, P = .0005). This study showed that AIx increased in patients with PAD and that heart rate is a determinant of AIx. Further studies are necessary to assess the pathophysiological and clinical importance of AIx in patients with PAD.
authors.affiliation: Research Center on Vascular Diseases and Angiology Unit, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scandale
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carzaniga
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cinquini
authors.forename: Marzio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minola
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Antoniazzi
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dimitrov
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carotta
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D000886:Anthropometry; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D058729:Peripheral Arterial Disease / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers