Correlation of cardiovascular disease risk factors with arterial vascular stiffness and reflected wave indices

Arterial stiffness measurements are currently used more for research purposes than in clinical practice. Increased arterial stiffness values provide direct evidence of target organ damage, with pulse wave velocity considered a biomarker of vascular injury and an important predictor of a patient's global cardiovascular risk, given that classical risk scores, mainly at intermediate risk, are poorly suited to predict cardiovascular outcomes. Traditional risk prediction models such as the Framingham risk score are commonly used to calculate individual risk for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, but this assessment has limitations such as reduced accuracy in some ethnic groups and lack of inclusion of certain risk factors. Adding arterial stiffness parameters and pulse wave reflection metrics to classical cardiovascular risk stratification may move individuals into a higher risk category, implying changes in treatment aimed at higher cardiovascular protection. The review article presents data on the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and arterial stiffness indices and reflected wave parameters