Large artery stiffness according to different assessment methods in adult population of St.Petersburg.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of increased arterial stiffness by different diagnostic methods and its association with cardiovascular risk in Russian population-based cohort.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In terms of Russian epidemiological study ESSE-RF a random selection of 452 apparently healthy Saint-Petersburg inhabitants aged 25-65 years was performed. Fasting lipids, glucose and blood pressure measurements were performed. We used 3 diagnostic methods of arterial stiffness assessment: pulse wave velocity by applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor - PWV-S) and pulse wave velocity by volumetric sphygmography (VaSera - PWV-V), and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) by VaSera.

RESULTS

341 (75,4%) had normal parameters of arterial stiffness assessed by all methods. Spearmen's coefficient of correlation and "kappa" coefficient for PWV-S and CAVI were 0,74 and 0,04, for PWV-S and PWV-V - 0,10 and 0,06, for CAVI and PWV-V - 0,28 and 0,03, respectively. There was a significant correlation between cardiovascular risk (defined by SCORE) and PWV-S (r = 0,38, p < 0,001) and a non-significant trend of increasing CAVI along with cardiovascular risk (r = 0,35, p = 0,14).

CONCLUSIONS

Different methods of arterial stiffness assessment showed a weak correlation with each other. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity detected by applanation tonometry is associated with high cardiovascular risk score and might be considered as better additional risk marker for cardiovascular risk stratification.