Brachial-Ankle PWV: Current Status and Future Directions as a Useful Marker in the Management of Cardiovascular Disease and/or Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Since 2001, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (brachial-ankle PWV) measurement has been applied for risk stratification of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or its risk factors in Japan. Measurement of the brachial-ankle PWV is simple and well standardized, and its reproducibility and accuracy are acceptable. Several cross-sectional studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between the brachial-ankle PWV and known risk factors for cardiovascular disease; the correlation is stronger in subjects with cardiovascular disease than in those without cardiovascular disease. We conducted a meta-analysis, which demonstrated that the brachial-ankle PWV is an independent predictor of future cardiovascular events. Furthermore, the treatment of cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle modifications have been shown to improve the brachial-ankle PWV. Thus, at present, brachial-ankle PWV is close to being considered as a useful marker in the management of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and/or its risk factors.