P156 CARDIO ANKLE VASCULAR INDEX (CAVI) AS ARTERIAL STIFFNESS MARKER IN SUBJECTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the axial spine that can manifest with various clinical signs and symptoms1.Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), which is calculated based on the stiffness parameter thus obtained, is theoretically independent of changes in blood pressure. With this distinct advantage, CAVI has been widely applied clinically to assess arterial stiffness in subjects with or without known cardiovascular diseases2. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Cardio Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI) in subjects with ankylosing spondylitis pared with controls free of morbidities. Methods: We enrolled 41 participants in this study. Eighteen patients with diagnosed AS and 23 controls free of comorbidities. CAVI was measured by VaSera VS-1000 (Fukuda- Denshi Company, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). Results: The results are expressed as mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables. The data were analyzed using SPSS v. 24 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The normality of the data was evaluated with Shapiro-Wilk test. A two-tailed p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Individuals with AS exhibited greater pSBP (p < 0.01), DBP (p < 0.05), and MBP (p < 0.01) compared to controls. Moreover, in the AS group we observed a higher CAVI with a mean difference of 1.14 (p < 0.01, 95% CI of .41 to 1.8) (Figure 1). Conclusion: AS is a chronic inflammatory disease that primarily affects the articular joints of the spine. Individuals with ankylosing spondylitis showed increased CAVI, this contributes to explain the higher risk of cardiovascular disease in this pathological condition.