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Published on: August 9, 2024
Augmentation index does not reflect risk of coronary artery disease in elderly patients
Shuji Hayashi1, Hirotsugu Yamada, Mika Bando
1Ultrasound Examination Center, Tokushima University Hospital.
Insights
Augmentation index (AI) may not effectively identify coronary artery disease (CAD) risk in elderly individuals. This study found no significant difference in AI between elderly patients with and without CAD.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Augmentation index (AI) is a clinical measure of arterial stiffness.
- AI is considered an independent predictor of cardiovascular events.
- Previous studies question AI's utility in identifying coronary artery disease (CAD) in elderly populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of AI as a marker for identifying CAD risk in elderly patients.
- To investigate the relationship between AI and the presence of CAD in an aging demographic.
Main Methods:
- A total of 120 elderly patients suspected of having CAD were enrolled.
- Invasive central blood pressure was measured via fluid-filled catheter.
- Non-invasive AI was calculated using the SphygmoCor system.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in AI was observed between patients with CAD (n=99) and without CAD (n=21).
- Non-invasive systolic central BP was lower than invasive measurements (115±18 vs. 130±23 mmHg).
- Non-invasive diastolic central BP was higher than invasive measurements (67±10 vs. 63±10 mmHg).
Conclusions:
- Augmentation index (AI) may not be a reliable marker for identifying CAD in elderly patients.
- The findings suggest limitations in using AI for CAD risk assessment in this demographic.
Background:
Augmentation index (AI) has been used as a clinical index of arterial stiffness and has been reported to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular events, but some investigators have reported that AI is not a useful marker to identify coronary artery disease (CAD) in elderly patients. The majority of CAD patients are elderly people, therefore the aim of this study was to examine whether AI is a useful marker to identify the risk of CAD.
Methods And Results:
A total of 120 patients (69±10 years of age; 83 male) who underwent cardiac catheterization for suspected CAD were enrolled. Invasive central blood pressure (BP) was measured using a fluid-filled catheter. Non-invasive AI was calculated by the SphygmoCor (AtCor Medical) system at the end of catheterization. Subjects consisted of 99 patients with CAD and 21 patients without CAD. There was no significant difference in AI between the CAD and the non-CAD groups (24±10 vs. 24±14%). Non-invasive systolic central BP was lower than the invasive systolic central BP (115±18 vs. 130±23 mmHg, P<0.001) in all patients. Non-invasive diastolic central BP was greater than the invasive diastolic central BP (67±10 vs. 63±10 mmHg, P<0.001).
Conclusions:
In elderly patients, AI may not be a useful marker to identify CAD.
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