[PP.09.04] REFERENCE VALUES OF CARDIO-ANKLE VASCULAR INDEX IN A RANDOM SAMPLE OF A CAUCASIAN POPULATION

Objective: Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), a parameter of arterial stiffness, has been increasingly used for cardiovascular risk estimation. Currently used CAVI reference values are based on the Japanese population. It is not clear whether the same reference values can be used in the Caucasian population. The aim of the present study was to describe cardiovascular risk factors influencing CAVI and to establish CAVI reference values.Design and method: In total, 2160 individuals randomly selected from the Brno city population aged 25–65 years were examined. Of these, 1 347 subjects were free from cardiovascular disease, non-diabetic and untreated by anti-hypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs, forming the reference value population. CAVI was measured using the VaSera VS-1000 device. Results: At each blood pressure level, there was a quadratic association between CAVI and age, except for the linear association in the optimal blood pressure group. While there was no association between blood pressure and CAVI in younger subjects, there was a linear association between CAVI and blood pressure after 40 years of age. Reference values by age and gender were established. In each age group, except for the male 60–65 group, reference values in whites were lower than in the Japanese population with the difference ranging from -0.29 to 0.21 for males, and from -0.38 to -0.03 for females. Conclusions: This is the first study providing CAVI reference values in a random sample of the Caucasian population. Our results suggest that the currently used values slightly overestimate CAVI in younger whites, which may underestimate cardiovascular risk.