Korean Circ J.  2006 Aug;36(8):565-572. 10.4070/kcj.2006.36.8.565.

Clinical Implication of Carotid-Radial Pulse Wave Velocity for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

• Lee YS
• Kim KS
• Nam CW
• Han SW
• Hur SH
• Kim YN
• Kim KB
• Lee JB

• KMID: 1859064
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2006.36.8.565

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Arterial stiffness assessed non-invasively with the aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries and also cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study was to determine whether arterial stiffness may predict the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD).
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We enrolled 106 consecutive, symptomatic patients (males: 71 (67%), mean age: 57.0+/-10.5 years) who underwent coronary angiography. The extent of the CAD was defined by single or multiple vessel disease according to the number of coronary vessels with a > or = 50% narrowing, the lesion type according to the AHA/ACC guidelines, and a modified stenosis scoring system. Arterial stiffness was characterized by measurement of the carotid-radial PWV. In addition, such cardiovascular risk factors as the body mass index, hypertension, smoking, LDL-and HDL-cholesterol, ejection fraction (EF), left ventricle mass index (LVMI), pulse pressure, plasma homocysteine and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated.
RESULTS
The carotid-radial PWV in multiple vessel CAD was faster than in single vessel CAD and the normal arteries (10.33+/-1.46 vs. 8.76+/-1.65 m/sec, respectively, p<0.001). On the univariate analysis, the extent of the CAD, as expressed as a modified stenosis score, was associated with the total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, the EF and the PWV. However, on the multivariate analysis, the extent of CAD was associated with the carotid-radial PWV (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Arterial stiffness identified by carotidradial PWV may predict the severity of the CAD after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.

Keyword

Pulse; Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease

MeSH Terms

Arteries
Atherosclerosis
Blood Pressure
Body Mass Index
C-Reactive Protein
Cholesterol
Constriction, Pathologic
Coronary Angiography
Coronary Artery Disease*
Coronary Vessels*
Heart Ventricles
Homocysteine
Humans
Hypertension
Mortality
Multivariate Analysis
Plasma
Pulse Wave Analysis*
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Vascular Stiffness
C-Reactive Protein
Cholesterol
Homocysteine
Smoke