Descriptive study of relationship between cardio-ankle vascular index and biomarkers in vascular-related diseases

Vascular Health Promotion Project and Vascular Medicine in China-CCVM2004-2023

Cardiovascular disease(CVD) has become a major disease burden affecting people's health in China. Blood vessels are very important for human health and are the "sentinel" for the development of many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The key to effectively preventing fatal, disabling heart, brain and peripheral vascular events lies in controlling traditional and non-traditional risk factors for vascular health from the source, and early assessment and intervention of early vascular lesions. Since 2004, China government promoted the early detection technology of vascular lesions and vascular medicine, and proposed the Beijing Vascular Health Stratification (BVHS) to provide suggestions for the examination, evaluation and management of risk factors, and to provide new ideas for lifelong maintenance of vascular health. This review mainly introduces the establishment and development of the clinical discipline of "vascular medicine" in the past 20 years in China, introduces the indicators for detecting vascular function and structure and the predictive value of vascular events, and carries out intelligent and digital management of vascular health throughout the life cycle of individualized prevention, treatment and rehabilitation for people with different parts or degrees of lesions, effectively reducing the occurrence and development of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and the prospect of new technology in maintaining vascular health.

Cross-Sectional Relationship between Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity and Biomarkers in Vascular-Related Diseases

Objectives

The present study was done to investigate the relationship between carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV) and biomarkers such as homocysteine (Hcy), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and urine albumin (microalbumin) (UAE) in vascular-related diseases.

Methods

656 subjects were enrolled into our study. There were 377 patients with hypertension, 231 with coronary heart disease, 154 with diabetes mellitus, and 186 healthy subjects. They were divided into four groups according to the number of suffered diseases: group 1 had only one of three diseases, group 2 had two, and group 3 had all of three diseases. CFPWV was measured by Complior apparatus.

Results

CFPWV was significantly higher in group 3 than in the healthy group, group 1, and group 2 (12.71 ± 2.38 vs 10.11 ± 2.28, 10.70 ± 2.12, and 11.92 ± 2.55, all p < 0.05). The level of Hcy was significantly higher in group1, group 2, and group 3 than in healthy subjects, respectively. Levels of Log NT-proBNP and Log UAE were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 1 (2.27 ± 0.4 vs 2.10 ± 0.4, 1.00 ± 0.65 vs 0.68 ± 0.56, both p < 0.05). Positive correlation between CFWV and Hcy, Log UAE, and Log NT-proBNP was found in the entire study group (r = 0.109, 0.196, and 0.119, all p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that pulse pressure, age, fasting plasma glucose, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, and Log UAE were independent associating factors of CFPWV in all subjects (β = 0.334, p < 0.001; β = 0.333, p < 0.001; β = 0.126, p=0.004; β = 0.137, p=0.003; β = −0.142, p=0.002; and β = 0.098, p=0.031).

Conclusions

CFPWV was significantly higher in subjects with hypertension, CHD, and DM. There was correlation between CFPWV and biomarkers such as NT-proBNP, Hcy, and urine albumin (microalbumin).

Correlation Between the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Renal Resistive Index in Patients With Essential Hypertension

Background

Renal resistive index (RRI) is a parameter determined by Doppler sonography that reflects renal hemodynamics. Significant relationships connecting increases in the RRI with cardiovascular risk factors and the incidence of cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients have been reported. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify the relationship between cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a novel marker of arterial stiffness, and the RRI in patients with essential hypertension with the goal of primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Methods

The study included 245 patients undergoing treatment for essential hypertension (95 men and 150 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 65 ± 13 years) with no history of cardiovascular disease. The CAVI and RRI were measured using commercial devices, and their relationships to various clinical parameters were examined.

Results

A significant positive correlation was observed between the CAVI and RRI (r = 0.43, P < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses revealed a value of β of 0.28 (P < 0.001) when CAVI was evaluated as the independent and RRI as the dependent variable. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the CAVI cutoff point for high RRI (> 0.70) was 9.0 with area under the curve of 0.700 (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results from this study indicate that the CAVI varies directly with measures of renal vascular hemodynamics (RRI) in patients with essential hypertension. These findings identified a cardiovascular risk value of the CAVI from the perspective of renal hemodynamics as 9.0 in this patient population.

Relationships Between Skin Autofluorescence and Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Japanese Male Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Background

An autofluorescence (AF) reader can be used to noninvasively measure tissues that accumulated advanced glycation end-products to diagnose skin AF. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of skin AF as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in Japanese male patients with metabolic syndrome using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as a marker of arterial function.

Methods

This cross-sectional study enrolled 261 Japanese male patients with metabolic syndrome without history of cardiovascular disease (mean age, 58 ± 7 years (mean ± standard deviation)). Associations between skin AF and various clinical parameters including CAVI were examined.

Results

Skin AF was significantly positively correlated with CAVI (r = 0.40, P < 0.001). Furthermore, multiple regression analyses revealed that skin AF (β = 0.18, P = 0.002) was selected as an independent subordinate factor for CAVI. Meanwhile, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) as a marker of insulin resistance, smoking habits and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein as an inflammation marker were independent variables for either CAVI or skin AF as a subordinate factor. According to the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis and results of previous reports that determined CAVI of ≥ 9.0 as a diagnostic criterion for vascular failure, skin AF of > 2.7 arbitrary unit is the optimal cut-off point for discriminating high CAVI (area under the curve = 0.718, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Findings in this study indicate that skin AF may be an important risk factor of cardiovascular disease in Japanese male patients with metabolic syndrome. In addition, the risk value of skin AF was considered as higher than 2.7 arbitrary unit. Further investigations in a large number of prospective studies, including intervention therapies, are required to validate the results in this study.

Clinical Usefulness of the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index as a Predictor of Primary Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Background

The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a physiologic marker reflecting arterial function. There have been no prospective studies investigating the relationship between CAVI and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this prospective study was to assess the clinical usefulness of CAVI as a predictor of primary cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Methods

The study enrolled 460 outpatients with CKD but no history of cardiovascular disease (152 men and 308 women; mean ± standard deviation age, 74 ± 12 years). Patients were assigned to one of three groups: low (L, CAVI < 9; n = 100), medium (M, CAVI 9 - 10; n = 199), or high (H, CAVI > 10; n = 161). The utility of the CAVI as a predictor of primary cardiovascular events was evaluated.

Results

During the follow-up period (median 60.1 months), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred in 91 cases (L, 8 (8.0%); M, 31 (15.6%); H, 52 (32.3%); P < 0.001, log-rank test). On multivariate Cox regression analysis, the risk for a MACE was significantly higher in group H than in non-group H (hazard ratio, 2.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.31 - 3.02; P < 0.01). A CAVI cut-off of 9.7 yielded the largest area under the curve, 0.701 (95% confidence interval: 0.657 - 0.743, P < 0.001), indicating a sensitivity of 74.0% and a specificity of 59.6% for discriminating between those who did and did not experience a MACE during follow-up.

Conclusions

The results of this study showed that a high CAVI is a predictor of primary cardiovascular events in patients with CKD.

Clinical predictive biomarkers for normoalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease

AIMS

A portion of patients with diabetes mellitus follow the progression of a non-albuminuria-based pathway; i.e., normoalbuminuric diabetic kidney disease (NA-DKD). However, the risk factors which determine NA-DKD are not yet fully understood. This cross-sectional study was therefore aimed to investigate the association between various biomarker levels and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and normoalbuminuria (T2D-NA).

METHODS

We measured cardiovascular disease (CVD) [serum osteoprotegerin (OPG), plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI)], tubular damage [urinary L-type fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP)], and inflammatory [serum tumornecrosis factor (TNF) α and its receptors (TNFRs)] biomarkers in 314 patients with T2D-NA.

RESULTS

The biomarkers of CVD and inflammation showed a significant negative correlation with eGFR. In a logistic multivariate model, none of the biomarkers, except TNFα and TNFRs, were associated with reduced renal function (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m²) after adjustment for possible biological and clinical covariates. However, the association observed in TNFα was lost after adjusting for TNFR and other covariates.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with T2D-NA, elevated levels of circulating TNFRs, but not of TNFα, were strongly associated with reduced renal function, independently of all relevant covariates.