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Updated: Oct 4, 2025

Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
Arterial stiffness and functional capacity in individuals with chronic stroke: a cross-sectional study
Cleucia Procópio1,2, Brenno Cordeiro Da Silva1,2, Maria Rodrigues-Machado1,2
1Post-Graduate Program of Health Sciences, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Minas Gerais, Centro, Brazil.
Objective:
To investigate the association between arterial stiffness and functional capacity in individuals with chronic stroke and compare the arterial stiffness between individuals with better and poor functional capacity.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Participants:
Individuals after chronic stroke have their arterial stiffness index evaluated by augmentation index heart rate adjusted for 75 bpm (AIx@75), assessed by Mobil-O-Graph® device (IEM, Stolberg, Germany), in percent, on the paretic upper limb. Functional capacity was assessed with the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) in metabolic equivalent (METS). The individuals were assigned into two groups: better (DASI ≥ 31.95) and poor (DASI < 31.95) functional capacity. Pearson's correlation and t test were used for analysis.
Results:
Twenty-eight individuals (arterial stiffness 23.8 ± 10% and functional capacity 29 ± 19 METS) were included. The association between arterial stiffness and functional capacity was negative and statistically significant, with moderate magnitude (r = -0.53, p < .001). Individuals who had better functional capacity have lower arterial stiffness indices (AIx@75 = 17.4% versus 27.4% in better and lower functional capacity, respectively) (p = .01).
Conclusion:
Arterial stiffness of the paretic upper limb has a negative association with functional capacity.
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