Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index Is Related To The Predicted 10-Year Stroke Risk In Middle-Aged Japanese Individuals.

Background: The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which is a novel parameter of arterial stiffness has recently been known as a surrogate marker for cardiovascular diseases. However, whether CAVI levels are related to the risk of stroke in the Japanese general individuals remains unclear. Methods: We examined 280 Japanese subjects (92 female, mean age, 52.6 ± 5 years) with no history of cardio-cerebrovascular disease. Each subject’s CAVI level and various risk factors were assessed; the predicted 10-year stroke risk was calculated using the point-based prediction model from the Japan Public Health Center study, which consists of six risk factors (age, sex, smoking status, BMI , BP and DM are used to calculate the predicted risk of stroke. Results: The subjects were divided into four groups based on predicted stroke risk: low, <1%; low-medium, 1- <5%; medium, 5-<10%; medium-high, ≥10%; and high. In a multiple linear regression analysis, sex, age, BMI and systolic BP were significant independent determinants of CAVI levels. When the subjects were divided into four groups based on predicted stroke risk, according to the JPHC study risk prediction algorithm, CAVI levels were significantly higher in the high-predicted risk group than in the medium-low and low-predicted risk groups. A significant odds ratio (OR) for very high predicted stroke risk (10-year risk ≥10%) was noted in the highest quartile of CAVI levels (OR, 13.76; 95% CI, 3.06-61.99), compared with the lowest quartile, after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A significant OR for high-predicted stroke risk was also found for each quartile increase (adjusted OR, 2.85; 95% CI, 1.80-4.53) and 1-point increase (adjusted OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.54-3.23) in CAVI level. Conclusion: Elevated CAVI levels were significantly associated with an increased predicted stroke risk, suggesting that measuring CAVI may be useful for identifying Japanese individuals with a high risk of stroke.