P.066 PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED AORTIC STIFFNESS

ObjectiveAortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) is a powerful and independent predictor of all cause cardiovascular mortality. Patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD) are at a higher risk of cardiovascular events. We hypothesized that patients with PVD would have a higher aPWV than age-matched healthy controls, and that aPWV would be inversely related to ankle brachial pressure index (APBI).MethodsWe studied 212 patients with PVD (mean age 71 ± 9 years, 68% male) with a mean ABPI of 0.64 ± 0.16 and 455 age-matched controls (mean age 70 ± 7 years, 64% male). Aortic augmentation index (AIx) augmentation pressure (AP) and central blood pressure were determined by pulse wave analysis using the SphygmoCor® system. PWV was derived using sequential carotid to femoral waveform recordings for aPWV and carotid and radial waveforms for brachial PWV.ResultsaPWV was significantly higher in patients with PVD compared with age-matched controls. (11.7 ± 3.5 vs. 9.9 ± 2.6m/s, P