Correlation of Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index With Accelerated Photoplethysmography and Risk Factors: A Retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Cardiovascular Diagnostics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Arteriosclerosis assessment utilizes noninvasive methods like cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and accelerated photoplethysmography (APG).
• Discrepancies in CAVI and APG values may arise from differing measurement principles and anatomical targets.
• Understanding the correlation and influencing factors is crucial for accurate vascular health evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between CAVI and APG in assessing arteriosclerosis.
• To identify clinical factors contributing to inconsistent results between CAVI and APG.
• To explore the complementary roles of CAVI and APG in patient evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients who underwent both CAVI and APG examinations (2021-2023).
• Classification of CAVI and APG wave types (normal, borderline, abnormal) and participant grouping (G0-G3).
• Pearson correlation and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses, with subgroup analysis of clinical data.

Main Results:

• Modest positive correlations found between CAVI and APG (r=0.235-0.298, p<0.001), slightly stronger in males.
• APG showed modest discriminatory ability for high arterial stiffness (CAVI ≥ 9) (AUC 0.59-0.66).
• Age was a significant factor for abnormal results in males. In females, age and diabetes were associated with abnormal findings in both; age and hypertension (HTN) with abnormal CAVI despite normal APG.

Conclusions:

• CAVI and APG provide complementary information for vascular health assessment, reflecting different aspects of arterial condition.
• Sex-specific risk factors, including age, diabetes, and hypertension in females, are important considerations when interpreting these noninvasive vascular indices.
• Integrated interpretation of CAVI and APG, considering individual risk factors, enhances clinical evaluation of arteriosclerosis.