title: Predictive value of the augmentation index derived vascular age in patients with newly diagnosed atherosclerosis.
abstract: Early detection of atherosclerosis, i.e., in occupational health screening programs could reduce the rate of cardiovascular events in the working population. Changes of the augmentation index (AIX) correlate with changes of the arterial stiffness induced by aging, atherosclerosis, or arterial hypertension and have a prognostic value for cardiovascular events. Their diagnostic yield should be increased by normalizing the AIX to age, in terms of a calculating the vascular age (VA). In this pilot study, 30 patients (mean age 65.3 ± 8.8 years, 21 male) with suspected coronary heart disease underwent a duplex ultrasound of the carotid arteries and a measurement of the ankle brachial index in addition to the coronary angiography. The AIX was recorded with a portable device (Vascular Explorer), and the VA was calculated. Atherosclerosis was found in 24 patients. They were older than the patients without atherosclerosis, but there was no age dependency found for the distribution pattern or severity of atherosclerosis. In patients with findings of atherosclerosis, the calculated VA was higher than the chronological age, and these differences were significant in patients below 65 years of age. Comparing patients in higher blood pressure classes with patients in lower classes, significantly higher AIX, VA, and differences to the chronological age were found. The VA, deduced from the noninvasively obtained AIX, is a promising candidate for screening programs for atherosclerosis, i.e., in occupational health screening programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Universitätsherzzentrum Thüringen, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany. stefan.betge@med.uni-jena.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Betge
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Universitätsherzzentrum Thüringen, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kretzschmar
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Clinic of Internal Medicine I, Universitätsherzzentrum Thüringen, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, 07747, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-Reiner
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Figulla
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Clinic of Internal Medicine II, Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Muellner Hauptstraße 48, Salzburg, 5020, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lichtenauer
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Vascular Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Duesseldorf, Moorenstraße 5, Duesseldorf, 40225, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
keywords: Atherosclerosis screening; Augmentation index; Photoplethysmography; Vascular age