Clinical Application of the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Asymptomatic Healthy Koreans.

BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness has been established as a surrogate marker for the prognosis of cardiovascular disease. Arterial stiffness is also a predictor of future cardiovascular events, and is the earliest detectable manifestation of adverse structural and functional changes to blood vessel walls. SUMMARY AND KEY MESSAGES: The cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is an index representing the stiffness of the entire arterial segments from the aorta to the ankle independent of the blood pressure at the time of the measurement. This paper provides an overview of the clinical application of arterial stiffness measurement by CAVI in asymptomatic Koreans. It includes the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and CAVI, and the relation between CAVI and asymptomatic coronary artery disease.