We evaluated the clinical significance of the new non-invasive vascular indices to explore their potential utility using repeated cuff-oscillometric inflation. In 250 consecutive outpatients, we performed a cross-sectional, retrospective, single-center, observational study to investigate sequential differences in arterial stiffness using blood pressure, arterial velocity pulse index (AVI), and arterial pressure volume index (API) with repeated measurements. Males accounted for 62.7% of the patients, and the mean age was 68.1 ± 12.1 years. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of the first reading in repeated measurements were 133.07 ± 21.20 mmHg and 73.94 ± 13.56 mmHg, respectively. The mean AVI and API were 23.83 ± 8.30 and 31.12 ± 7.86, respectively. In each measurement of these parameters, although DBP and AVI did not show significant changes throughout repeated measurements, SBP and API decreased significantly according to the measurement orders. Furthermore, changes in SBP and API were significantly correlated in several of the models. In this study, it was concluded that upper-arm SBP decline associated with repeated cuff-oscillometric inflation was significantly correlated with the arterial stiffness index. The findings of this study will allow clinicians to easily recognize the progression of atherosclerosis through regular, routine practice. In conclusion, this study suggests that changes in repeated SBP measurements may be predictive of arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis.

The early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of subclinical atherosclerosis before the onset of life-threatening cardiovascular (CV) diseases are major unmet medical needs in current clinical practice. Noninvasive arterial stiffness indices, the arterial velocity–pulse index (AVI) and the arterial pressure–volume index (API) have been associated with CV risks, conventional arterial stiffness indices, and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis. However, few studies have examined the relationship between these indices and the occurrence of CV events. We measured the AVI and API in 113 consecutive patients admitted to Yokohama City University Hospital for cardiac catheterization between June 2015 and March 2016. Patients were followed until September 2022, and the occurrence of CV events was assessed. The mean age was 71.2 ± 10.7 years, and 83 patients (73.5%) were male. In total, 80 patients (70.8%) had hypertension, 87 (77.0%) had dyslipidemia, and 91 (80.5%) had a history of ischemic heart disease (IHD). The mean follow-up duration was 1752 ± 819 days. Patients who received elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on the results of coronary angiography (CAG) at the time of enrollment had significantly higher API than those who did not (38.5 ± 12.6, n = 17 vs. 31.3 ± 7.4, n = 96, p = 0.001). The API was independently associated with the risk of elective PCI in multiple logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, the API could be a useful indicator for estimating the need for coronary interventional treatment in patients with a high CV risk.

Background: The Arterial Velocity Pulse Index (AVI) and Arterial Pressure–Volume Index (API) are novel non-invasive indices of arterial stiffness derived from cuff-oscillometric measurements. Previous studies have shown that elevated AVI and API are associated with the severity of coronary artery disease and the ability to predict future cardiovascular events. However, the hemodynamic and echocardiographic characteristics of patients with concomitantly high AVI and API remain unclear. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 112 consecutive cardiovascular outpatients (mean age 69.1 ± 12.2 years, 64.3% male) seen between January and April 2019 at Yokohama City University Hospital. The AVI and API were measured using a multifunctional sphygmomanometer (PASESA AVE1500, Shisei Datum, Japan) and averaged over a maximum of three measurements. Patients were classified into four groups according to previously established cutoff values (AVI ≥ 27, API ≥ 32). Central arterial pulse wave parameters were assessed using SphygmoCor XCEL (AtCor Medical, Sydney, Australia), and echocardiographic parameters were obtained according to standard protocols. Intergroup differences were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test with Steel–Dwass post hoc comparisons. Results: Compared with the low-risk group (low AVI/low API), the high-risk group (high AVI/high API) had significantly higher brachial systolic BP (139.2 [132.8–149] vs. 128 [120–136.7] mmHg, p = 0.0011), central systolic BP (127.5 [122.3–139] vs. 117.7 [110.3–123.7] mmHg, p = 0.0018), and central pulse pressure (56.2 [51.4–60.3] vs. 37.7 [32–43] mmHg, p < 0.001). The forward and reflected wave amplitudes were significantly greater, with prolonged ejection duration and aortic T2 time. The Buckberg subendocardial viability ratio was significantly lower in the high-risk group (129.5 [119.7–145.2] vs. 148.3 [130–168.3], p = 0.040). Echocardiography revealed reduced e′ velocity (5 [4.1–5.8] vs. 6.7 [5.2–8] cm/s, p = 0.035) and increased E/e′ (13.2 [11.1–15.1] vs. 9.7 [7.9–11.3], p = 0.026) in the high-risk group, suggesting the presence of impaired diastolic function without reduced LVEF. Conclusions: Patients with high AVI and API exhibited greater central and peripheral arterial stiffness, higher systolic and pulse pressures, and impaired diastolic function compared with those with low values. These findings support the use of a cardiovascular pathophysiological model in which elevated AVI/API identify individuals at increased risk of progression to heart failure and ischemic heart disease.