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[Relationship of arterial wall parameters to cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular risk assessed by SCORE
Milda Kovaite1, Zaneta Petrulioniene, Ligita Ryliskyte
1Center of Cardiology and Angiology, Santariskes Clinics of Vilnius University Hospital, Santariskiu 2, Vilnius, Lithuania. milda.kovaite@santa.lt
Insights
Arterial wall stiffness and function measurements are linked to traditional cardiovascular risk factors like age and diabetes. Specific measures like pulse wave velocity and intima-media thickness can help identify individuals at higher cardiovascular risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Vascular Biology
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Arterial wall parameters reflect subclinical cardiovascular changes.
- Conventional risk factors may not fully capture individual cardiovascular risk.
- Assessing arterial health is crucial for early risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between arterial wall parameters and cardiovascular risk factors.
- To determine if arterial parameters can predict cardiovascular risk using the SCORE system.
- To identify potential cutoff values for risk stratification.
Main Methods:
- Studied 209 adults aged 40-65 without overt cardiovascular disease.
- Measured flow-mediated dilatation, augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, stiffness index, and carotid intima-media thickness.
- Utilized applanation tonometry, finger photoplethysmography, and high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.
Main Results:
- Age and diabetes significantly impacted arterial wall parameters.
- Mean arterial pressure and gender predicted arterial stiffness.
- Pulse wave velocity, intima-media thickness, and flow-mediated dilatation differentiated SCORE risk groups.
Conclusions:
- Arterial wall parameters correlate with conventional risk factors, age, and diabetes.
- Specific cutoff values for intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity aid in identifying increased cardiovascular risk.
- These parameters offer valuable insights for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Objective:
To investigate the relationship of arterial wall parameters (flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, augmentation index, pulse wave velocity, stiffness index, carotid intima-media thickness) to conventional cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular risk assessed by SCORE system.
Material And Methods:
A total of 209 subjects aged 40-65 years without clinically overt cardiovascular disease were examined. Parameters of arterial stiffness were obtained by two methods: augmentation index and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity by applanation tonometry and stiffness index by the means of finger photoplethysmography. Flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, reflecting endothelial function, and carotid intima-media thickness was determined using a high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography.
Results:
Age and the presence of diabetes strongly influenced all parameters of the arterial wall (diabetes was not independent predictor when evaluating augmentation index). Mean arterial pressure and gender were independent predictors for arterial stiffness parameters--carotid-radial pulse wave velocity and augmentation index. Flow-mediated dilatation was strongly dependent on the diameter of the brachial artery, age, and body mass index. Using logistic regression, it was found that pulse wave velocity (P=0.014), intima-media thickness (P=0.004), and flow-mediated dilatation (P=0.020) were important parameters dividing subjects to the groups of increased (> or =5%) and low (<5%) cardiovascular risk assessed by SCORE system. The cutoff values for intima-media thickness and pulse wave velocity were 0.078 cm and 8.95 m/s, respectively.
Conclusions:
Arterial wall parameters are closely associated with conventional risk factors; they are influenced by age and the presence of diabetes. Arterial stiffness parameters are also influenced by mean arterial pressure; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol has influence on carotid intima-media thickness. Cutoff values for carotid intima-media thickness and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity could help to discriminate patients with increased cardiovascular risk.
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