Abstract Exercise intolerance is a clinical feature of chronic heart failure (CHF) that reflects impaired cardiovascular performance. Increased arterial stiffness is associated with adverse outcomes in CHF. The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) provides a reproducible, and noninvasive measure of arterial stiffness. This study aims to examine the relationship between CAVI and exercise intolerance among patients with CHF, providing new insights into the vascular contributions to functional limitation. This was a cross-sectional study involving adult patients with CHF. Subjects underwent CAVI assessment and the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) to evaluate exercise capacity. A 6MWT distance 25 (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08–0.80) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 4.10; 95% CI: 1.40–13.35). Increased arterial stiffness, as indicated by a higher CAVI, associated with exercise intolerance among CHF patients.
Laksneri et al. (Tue,) studied this question.