Abstract W P135: Pulse Wave Velocity is a Predictor of Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Introduction: Arterial stiffness increases with aging, but is also suggested as a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and a predictor of cardiovascular events. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velosity (baPWV) is a simple and non-invasive tool for measurement of arterial stiffness. Hypothesis: Measurement of baPWV in acute phase of stroke may have a prognostic value to predict all-cause and cardiovascular death. Methods: This was a hospital-based, retrospective observational study. We included patients who had admitted for acute ischemic stroke and undergone baPWV measurement. Date and causes of death were obtained from the database of the Korean National Statistical Office. All-cause and cardiovascular mortality after stroke onset was compared across to the tertile groups of baPWV. Results: Of included 1696 patients, mean age was 64.5 ± 12.5 years and male was 60.7 %. Mean value of baPWV was 21.04 ± 6.31 m/sec. During mean follow-up period of 1.91 ± 1.27 years, there were 126 all-cause deaths including 85 cardiovascular deaths. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated an increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with higher baPWV (Figure). In multivariate Cox regression, patients in the highest tertile of baPWV (T3; >22.54 m/sec) were at increased risks for all-cause death [HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.13-3.36, p=0.017] and cardiovascular death [HR 2.18, 95% CI 1.11-4.25, p=0.023] compared to the lowest tertile (T1; <17.78 m/sec). Conclusions: This study suggested that measurement of baPWV during acute phase of stroke might be used to identify patients at a higher risk for long-term mortality.