Estimates of arterial stiffness and central blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes: A comparison of SphygmoCor and Arteriograph

Abstract

Background: The Arteriograph is a cuff-based oscillometric device for non-invasive assessment of central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), aortic augmentation index (Aix) and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV). Reproducibility of Arteriograph measurements and the agreement with SphygmoCor in diabetic patients has never been assessed. Methods: We compared Arteriograph reproducibility and agreement with SphygmoCor with data from two study populations: Study 1 (n = 17) was conducted in a research laboratory and Study 2 (n = 19) in a catheter lab. SphygmoCor PWV data was only available in study 1. Results: Reproducibility: Mean differences (±Standard deviation of the difference (SDD)) between duplicate cSBP, Aix and PWV Arteriograph measurements were −0.6 ± 6.6 mmHg, −1.1 ± 3.3% and 0.1 ± 0.5 m/s in study 1 and −0.01 ± 4.3 mmHg, 1.5 ± 3.2% and −0.2 ± 0.6 m/s in study 2, all differences non-significant. Agreement: Mean differences between SphygmoCor and Arteriograph were −14 ± 10 mmHg, −8 ± 7% and 2.4 ± 1.8 m/s, (p < 0.001 for all) in Study 1 and −5 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.04 and −10 ± 8%, p = <0.001 in Study 2. In study 1, a significant correlation was observed between the mean and the difference for cSBP, r = −0.75, p < 0.001 and for Aix, r = −0.67, p < 0.001. Conclusions: In type 2 diabetics, Arteriograph data were reproducible yet systematically overestimated cSBP, Aix and PWV compared with SphygmoCor. Hence, the two devices cannot be used interchangeably in type 2 diabetics.

Keywords

• Arterial stiffness
• Augmentation index
• Central blood pressure
• Diabetes
• SphygmoCor
• Arteriograph