Augmentation index is associated with cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Physiology

Background:

• Augmentation index (AI) is a key parameter from pulse wave analysis (PWA) serving as a surrogate for arterial stiffness.
• Assessing AI's association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and its determinants in different patient groups is crucial for risk stratification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if augmentation index correlates with established cardiovascular risk scores.
• To investigate whether the factors influencing augmentation index differ between patients with and without cardiovascular disease.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 216 subjects, categorized by cardiovascular disease status.
• AI was measured using carotid applanation tonometry and PWA.
• Correlation analysis was performed between AI and various risk factors, including age, blood pressure, and cholesterol, against ESC, SMART, and EPOZ risk scores.

Main Results:

• Augmentation index showed a significant positive correlation with cardiovascular risk scores (ESC, SMART, EPOZ; P < 0.0001).
• AI was correlated with diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, height, and gender in both healthy and CVD groups.
• A significant correlation between age and AI was observed only in healthy subjects, not in those with atherosclerotic disease.

Conclusions:

• Augmentation index appears to be a valuable indicator of cardiovascular risk.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the age-AI relationship in individuals with atherosclerotic conditions.