P1.05 AORTIC PULSE WAVE VELOCITY BUT NOT AUGMENTATION INDEX IS ASSOCIATED WITH ASYMPTOMATIC CAROTID ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Abstract

Objectives: To study the association between aortic stiffness, assessed by a single arm cuff oscillometric method, and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (ACA) in a healthy population. Methods: We studied 234 normotensive subjects without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes (125±9/75±8 mm Hg, 51±11 years, 58% women) attending voluntary health screening. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) and augmentation Index (Aix) were measured with an Arteriograph. ACA (by ultrasonography) was defined as a ≥1.0 mm echogenic plaque and/or a focal ≥1.3 mm increase of intima-media thickness. Results: Asymptomatic ACA was present in 60 subjects (26%). There were differences between subjects with and without ACA (all P<0.001) in stiffness parameters (PWVao 9.6±1.6 vs 8.2±1.3 m/s, Aix 34.8±12.9 vs 25.7±14.5%), and age (59±9 vs 48±10 years, respectively), but not in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (126±8 vs 124±9, and 76±7 vs 75±8 mm Hg, respectively). In a logistic regression analysis performed to define factors related to ACA (including age, gender, smoking, body mass index, systolic blood pressure heart rate, Aix, and PWVao), age, smoking, and PWVao remained independently related (all P<0.05) to ACA. The optimal threshold of PWVao to identify ACA was 8,7 m/s; details are shown below. Conclusions: PWVao measured with the Arteriograph in an apparently healthy normotensive population is independently related to ACA, while Aix is not. We suggest that Aix might be related to an early stage of atherosclerosis, whereas PWVao is a more specific marker of macrovascular atherosclerosis. Value 95% Confidence Interval Sensitivity 0.72 0.59–0.82 Specificity 0.71 0.64–0.77 Positive predictive value 0.45 0.36–0.56 Negative predictive value 0.88 0.81–0.92 Relative risk 3.77 2,29–6.19 Odds ratio 6.1 3.19–11.68