Relationship between aortic atherosclerosis and non-invasive measures of arterial stiffness

Both increased arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis are risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We studied the relationship between aortic atherosclerosis, assessed by measuring maximal aortic intima–media thickness (MAIMT) on transesophageal echocardioagraphy and aortic stiffness, measured by applanation tonometry. Eighty-one patients (28 men, 53 women, mean age 61 ± 13 years) referred for transesophageal echocardiography were studied. Augmentation index (AI) and carotid–radial pulse (PWV) wave velocity were measured using a SphygmoCor® tonometer (Atcor Med., Australia). MAIMT was correlated with AI and age (r = 0.35, p = 0.002 and r = 0.36, p = 0.001), respectively. There were no relations between MAIMT and either aortic pulse pressure (A-PP) (r = 0.10, p = 0.35) or PVW (r = −0.38, p = 0.76). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that AI and age were independently related to MAIMT. In this middle-aged predominantly African-American population structural aortic atherosclerosis and aortic stiffness as measured by AI are age dependent and are inter-related, independent of age.