Introduction: Large artery stiffness is recognized as a strong, independent marker of cardiovascular risk, mainly through aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV). Carotid stiffness (CS), directly measured from echo tracking is correlated with PWV and has been associated with CV risk. Arteriograph is a new non-invasive oscillometric method, which estimates aortic PWV through brachial pressure wave analysis and provides an aortic stiffness index (ASI).

Aim: To compare CS with echotracking to ASI with arteriograph and define their determinants and discrepancies in a large unselected middle age population.

Methods: CS was assessed by echotracking system (ArtLab^®) and central pulse pressure by calibrated distension waveforms, ASI by Arteriograph. R-squared Pearson’s correlation coefficient (R²) between the methods was calculated.

Results: 682 patients were included: 68 healthy control subjects (CTL), 412 patients with “non treated risk factors” (NTRF) and 202 with “treated risk factors” (TRF). Among NTRF and CTL patients, correlation between CS and ASI were weak (R²=0.019 and 0.016 respectively, p<0.01). In a robust multiple stepwise regression analysis, ASI was determined by mean blood pressure (p-R²=0.066, p<0.001), independently of gender (p-R²=0.048, p<0.001) triglyceride (p-R²=0.044, p<0.001), whereas CS is associated with MBP (p-R²=0.093, p<0.001) and age (p-R²=0.043, p<0.001). CV drugs were associated with ASI (RAAS antagonists decreasing, calcium antagonists increasing), but not with CS.

Conclusion: ASI and CS are weakly correlated. Pressure and age, usually strong determinants of CS were modestly associated with ASI which appeared more sensitive to metabolic factors and drug treatments. Both techniques measure differently arterial stiffness and are not exchangeable.