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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
Importance of arterial stiffness in predicting cardiovascular events
Insights
Increased arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is linked to cardiovascular events. This study confirms PWV as a significant predictor, especially in specific patient groups, highlighting its clinical importance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
- Nephrology
Background:
- Cardiovascular events are a leading cause of death.
- Arterial stiffness is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the gold standard for assessing arterial stiffness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between arterial stiffness (PWV) and cardiovascular events.
- To identify patient groups where PWV is a significant predictor.
- To evaluate the prognostic value of PWV in a clinical setting.
Main Methods:
- 174 patients were monitored for cardiovascular events and death over a median of 51.5 months.
- Arterial stiffness was measured using the Sphygmocor system (applanation tonometry).
- Patient data included demographics, chronic kidney failure status, and PWV measurements.
Main Results:
- The mean PWV was 9.382.
- A significant association was found between higher PWV and the occurrence of acute myocardial infarction and death.
- Chronic kidney failure was prevalent in 53.4% of the patients.
Conclusions:
- Increased PWV is positively associated with cardiovascular events.
- PWV is a valuable prognostic marker, particularly in specific patient populations.
- Arterial stiffness assessment can aid in risk stratification for cardiovascular events.
Introduction:
Cardiovascular events represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the entire population. Arterial stiffness is currently considered one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular events. The gold-standard for evaluating arterial stiffness is pulse wave velocity (PWV). Recent studies have demonstrated that PWV is an independent risk factor regarding the development of cardiovascular events, especially in certain categories of patients.
Material And Methods:
The development of cardiovascular events was assessed in 174 patients admitted in the Center of Internal Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, between January 2011 - May 2012. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by measuring PWV using the Sphygmocor system (AtCor, Australia), which is based on the principle of applanation tonometry. The patients were monitored for the development of cardiovascular events (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, acute myocardial infarction) and for death of cardiovascular cause, over a median period of 51.5 months (43-60 months).
Results:
Of the 174 patients, 81 (46.6%) were women and 93 (53.4%) were men. Mean age was 55.96 years. 93 of the 174 patients had chronic kidney failure in different stages (47.3% in stage V). Regarding PWV in the patient group, we obtained a mean score of 9.382. We observed a significant difference regarding the PWV level only for acute myocardial infarction and death between patients who developed these events and those who did not.
Conclusions:
Our study demonstrates that PWV increase can be positively associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular events, particularly in certain groups of patients.
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