Arterial stiffness (AS) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events. It can be estimated easily by a new technique: pOpmètre® (Axelife-SAS-France). Some data suggests an increase in AS in anti-phospholipids syndrome (APS) patients.

To study the relationship between AS indices, and blood anti-phospholipids antibody levels in patients with primary APS vs controls with an history of thrombosis.

Aortic impedance (Physioflow® Esaote-Italy), Intima-media thickness (IMT) ultrasound, and foot to toe PWV, blood pressure, ABPI and the aPL antibody titers were measured in 20 APS patients and 20 controls with a distal deep vein thrombosis history.

The two groups were comparable for brachial blood pressure and ABPI (1.15 ± 0.04 vs 1.12 ± 0.03, ns), as well as the age. The APS group had a greater IMT (0.59 ± 0.02 versus 0.53 ± 0.01 mm, p <0.004). AS impedance (10.3 ± 0.6 versus 8.1 ± 0.6 m / s, p <0.02) and pOpmètre® ftPWV (13.2 ± 0.9 vs 10.5 ± 0.6 m/s; p <0.004) was increased in the APS group. Age correlated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r2 = 0.1; p = 0.002), AS (r2 = 0.11, p = 0.002), pOpmètre ® ftPWV (r2 = 0.23; p <10⁻⁴), IMT (r2 = 0.16; p = 0.0003), not with the BAPI (r2 = 0.03; p = 0.06). No correlation was found between with age and aPL.

Conclusion: In the APS patients, arterial stiffness measured by pOpmètre® is increased compared to controls and correlated with AS indices and IMT.