Knowing the predictive value of arterial stiffness for cardiovascular events, it is mandatory to identify the factors responsible for the increase in arterial stiffness.

Objective: Identification of factors that influence arterial stiffness, i.e. brachial and aortic augmentation index (AixAo), pulse wave velocity (PWVao), respectively central systolic blood pressure (SBPAo).

Design and method: The study included 285 patients with a mean age of 59.27±11.05 years. All patients underwent anthropometric measurements, biochemical and arterial determinations. Arterial parameters were determined using the TensioMed^TMArteriograph.

Results: 74% of patients were hypertensive, 24.2% diabetics, 40% obese, 16.8% smokers, 68.1% with dyslipidaemia, 70.9% with metabolic syndrome, 37.8% with cardiovascular diseases. A significant correlation (p<0.05) was found between brachial augmentation index and age (r=0.375), weight (r= − 0.427), abdominal circumference (r= − 0.286), systolic blood pressure (r=0.359), HDL-cholesterol (r=0.352). In addition aortic augmentation index correlated with diastolic blood pressure (r=0.173). Pulse wave velocity significantly correlated with age (r=0.266), systolic blood pressure (r=0.376), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.168), triglycerides (r=0.192). A relationship was found between SBPAo and age (r=0.155), systolic blood pressure (r=0.423), diastolic blood pressure (r=0.390), glycemia (r=0.155). All arterial stiffness parameters correlated with SBPAo (for AixAo r=0.405, for Aixb r=0.291, for PWVao r=0.214).

Conclusion: Despite the fact that all parameters quantify aortic and brachial stiffness, they seems to be different influence by anthropometric and biochemical parameters.

This paper was published under the frame of European Social Found, Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007–2013, project no. POSDRU/159/1.5/S/138776