| Summary: | Aims: to investigate: 1. The association between skin elasticity and arterial elasticity in healthy subjects; 2. The determinants of arterial stiffness in patients with CAD; 3. The determinants of endothelial dysfunction in patients with CAD; 4. The association between arterial stiffness and endothelial dysfunction in patients with CAD; 5. The survival of subjects from cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality as determined by the severity of CAD, renal function, arterial stiffness and endothelial function. Results: 1. Arterial elasticity and skin elasticity were only weakly associated. 2. Arterial stiffness was determined by age, heart rate, central systolic blood pressure and serum creatinine concentration. Arterial stiffness was negatively associated with serum creatinine concentration, even within the normal range. 3. Endothelium-independent changes in the augmentation indices (AIs) were determined by age, body mass index and mean blood pressure, and was associated with a higher serum creatinine concentration and a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Endothelium-dependent changes in AIs were weakly explained by mean blood pressure but not associated with hypercholesterolaemia, as previously reported, or renal function. However, the presence or severity of CAD also did not explain the variance in arterial stiffness or endothelial function measures. 4. Endothelium-independent and dependent changes in AIs correlated positively. In addition, endothelium-independent and dependent changes in AIs correlated positively. Subjects with a higher number of diseased coronary vessels, a lower eGFR or a higher serum creatinine concentration had a higher risk of developing adverse clinical events. Arterial stiffness and endothelial function, however, did not appear to predict a poor outcome.
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