Descriptive study of possible link between cardioankle vascular index and homocysteine in vascular-related diseases

Hongyu Wang1, Jinbo Liu, Qi Wang

  • 1Department of Vascular Medicine, Peking University Shougang Hospital, Beijing, PR China.

BMJ Open
|March 28, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels correlate with increased arterial stiffness, as measured by the cardioankle vascular index (CAVI). This finding highlights Hcy as a significant factor in vascular health, independent of blood pressure.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Research
  • Biomarkers of Vascular Disease
  • Arterial Stiffness Measurement

Background:

  • Homocysteine (Hcy) is an established risk factor for vascular diseases.
  • Cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) is a novel measure of arterial stiffness, independent of immediate blood pressure.
  • Understanding the relationship between Hcy and arterial stiffness is crucial for vascular disease risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between homocysteine (Hcy) levels and cardioankle vascular index (CAVI).
  • To explore this relationship in patients with and without vascular-related diseases.
  • To identify independent predictors of arterial stiffness.

Main Methods:

  • Descriptive research design.
  • Inclusion of 88 patients with or without hypertension, coronary artery disease, or arteriosclerosis obliterans.
  • Measurement of CAVI, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV), and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (CR-PWV).

Main Results:

  • Significant positive correlations were found between Hcy and CAVI, CF-PWV, and CR-PWV across all participants.
  • Patients with vascular diseases exhibited higher Hcy levels and increased CAVI, CF-PWV, and CR-PWV compared to those without.
  • Homocysteine, body mass index (BMI), and age were identified as independent factors associated with CAVI.

Conclusions:

  • Cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) demonstrates a positive correlation with homocysteine (Hcy) levels in individuals with vascular-related diseases.
  • Homocysteine is a significant independent predictor of arterial stiffness.
  • These findings underscore the importance of monitoring Hcy levels for assessing vascular health.
Abstract

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