Arterial Stiffness Assessed By Pulse Wave Velocity as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND

Cancer patients are at increased risk of coronary artery disease. Vascular dysfunction is first reflected as arterial stiffness, which can be assessed by pulse wave velocity (PWV).

AIM: This study aims to appraise whether PWV is a clinical indicator of arterial stiffness.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A case-control observational study was undertaken in a tertiary teaching hospital among 589 participants, including 197 cancer patients undergoing treatment and 392 age-matched controls. Arterial stiffness and hemodynamic parameters were measured noninvasively using the Diabetes Risk Profiler system based on PeriScope® technology. Statistical analysis included comparison of means, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

Cancer patients showed significantly higher heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, brachial-ankle PWV, carotid-femoral PWV, aortic pulse pressure, augmentation pressure, and augmentation index than controls, while ankle-brachial index was significantly lower (all P < 0.001). In cancer patients, PWV showed strong positive correlations with age and systolic blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

Cancer patients undergoing treatment have markedly increased arterial stiffness and altered vascular function compared with controls. PWV may be a useful, simple, and noninvasive marker for early cardiovascular risk assessment in cardio-oncology practice.