Impact of coronary artery disease on augmentation index as measured by estimated central blood pressure: A case control study in Asian Indians

AIMS: We compared various components of blood pressure and arterial stiffness of healthy control with those of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients using BP+ machine™. METHODS: In this prospective, case-control study, total 585 individuals of both the genders were enrolled. The study population consisted of 277 controls (healthy siblings of diseased subjects not having CAD - group A) and 308 CAD patients (group B). Age and sex adjusted regression and receiver operative curve (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the strength of association of these parameters. RESULTS: We found that mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) (137.14±22.49 vs. 129.26±19.86), central systolic blood pressure (CSBP) (130.78±21.89 vs. 117.53±17.98), augmentation index (AI) (108.55±44.98 vs. 49.38±21.03) and pulse rate variability (98.82±231.09 vs. 82.86±208.77) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in CAD population as compared to healthy counterparts. Left ventricular contractibility as measured by dP/dt was significantly lower in CAD patients. All these parameters were significantly abnormal in CAD as compared to healthy control population irrespective of the gender of the patient except for SBP in females. Both - odds ratio (1.108; 95% CI: 1.081-1.135; p<0.0001) and ROC analysis (AUC: 0.937; 95% CI: 0.919-0.956; p<0.0001) showed AI as the strongest predictor of CAD, closely followed by CSBP. CONCLUSION: Central aortic blood pressure parameters such as AI and CSBP measured noninvasively with BP+ machine could be the effective predictors of CAD in Asian Indians.