Aortic knob calcification and cardioankle vascular index in asymptomatic hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hypertension are predisposed to atherosclerosis of large vessels and are at increased risk of target organ damage and related clinical sequelae. Cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) is a novel parameter of arterial stiffness and a surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between aortic knob calcification (AKC) and CAVI in asymptomatic hypertensive patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty patients with AKC and age-matched sex-matched 60 control individuals without AKC were enrolled. Patients with known or having symptoms of atherosclerotic vascular diseases were excluded. AKC was assessed on chest radiography. CAVI was measured using the VaSera - 1000 CAVI instrument. AKC patients had higher CAVI values compared with those without AKC (11.8±3.9 vs. 8.2±2.1, P<0.001). Patients with subclinical atherosclerosis (CAVI≥9) had higher percent of AKC compared with those who had no atherosclerosis (CAVI<9) (72 vs. 34%, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: The presence of AKC on chest radiography may provide important predictive information of arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic hypertensive patients.