RELATION BETWEEN NUMBER OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS EVENTS AND NONINVASIVE DOPPLER ULTRASOUND ASSESSMENTS OF AORTIC COMPLIANCE/

The aim of this study was to establish the relation between noninvasiv e Doppler ultrasound assessments of aortic compliance, based on ''foot -to-foot'' aortic pulse wave velocity measurements, and presumed ather osclerotic load in patients with vascular disease and/or diabetes mell itus. One hundred ten patients with vascular disease and/or diabetes m ellitus (arteriopaths) underwent measurement of in vivo aortic complia nce using Doppler ultrasound. Demographic data on these subjects were recorded along with details of cardiovascular risk factors and events. Aortic compliance values were compared with data from 51 age-matched healthy, asymptomatic subjects putatively free of vascular disease (co ntrols), Data are expressed as mean+/-SD. Arteriopaths were aged 64.1/-8.4 years and had total cholesterol levels of 5.9+/-1.1 mmol/L, and aortic compliance of 0.78+/-0.42%/10 mm Hg [1.33 kPa]. Most arteriopat hs had 2 or more cardiovascular risk factors and events: diabetes (n=4 1), hypertension (n=45), smoking (n=86), cerebrovascular/ transient is chemic event (n=13), myocardial infarction (n=44), angina (n=51), and/ or peripheral vascular disease (n=33). Controls were aged 64.3+/-12.1 years with total cholesterol of 6.1+/-1.1 mmol/L and aortic compliance of 1.14+/-0.46%/10 mm Hg [1.33 kPa] (P<0.002 versus arteriopaths), Su bset analysis revealed that patients with the greatest number of cardi ovascular risk factors and events (n=5) had the stiffest aortas (aorti c compliance, 0.58+/-0.15%/10 mm Hg [1.33 kPa]) compared with those pa tients with the median and mean (n=2) number of risk factors and event s (aortic compliance, 0.80+/-0.50%/10 mm Hg [1.33 kPa]; P<0.02), The d ata suggest that a significant inverse relation exists between presume d atherosclerotic load las assessed by the number of cardiovascular ri sk factors and events) and aortic compliance determined noninvasively based on aortic pulse wave velocity measurements. If these findings ar e confirmed by prospective, longitudinal follow-up studies, such measu rements may prove useful as a noninvasive marker of vascular risk.