Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: Role of Peripheral Atherosclerosis

Aim. To study the association between cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and peripheral atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Material and methods. The study included 182 CHD patients (161 men and 21 women; mean age 58,5±7,5 years). The examination of peripheral arteries was performed using the VaSera VS-1000 device (Fukuda Denshi, Japan). Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and CAVI were calculated. All participants were divided into three groups: Group I (n=93): CAVI <9,0 and ABI >0,9; Group II (n=32): CAVI <9,0 and ABI <0,9; and Group III (n=57): CAVI >0,9 and ABI >0,9. Clinical parameters, coronary angiography (CAG) data, and ultrasound signs of peripheral artery atherosclerosis were compared across groups. Results. CAVI <0,9, which reflected increased arterial stiffness, was observed in 31,3% of CHD patients. According to CAG results, Group I participants had a slightly higher prevalence of one-vessel pathology (32,3%) than their peers from Groups II and III (15,6% and 17,5%, respectively; p=0,07). The prevalence of three-vessel pathology was similar in all three groups (29%, 25%, and 28%; p=0,9). Atherosclerosis of three vascular basins was more prevalent in Group II (46,9%) and Group III (14%; p<0,00001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, increased CAVI was associated with age and body mass index (BMI). Conclusion. In CHD patients, high CAVI values were linked to older age and lower BMI. There was no clear association between CAVI and coro￾nary atherosclerosis severity; however, CHD patients with high CAVI and/or low ABI demonstrated a higher number of atherosclerosis-affected vascular basins.