Assessment of the relationship between arterial stiffness and spinal angle in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

AIM: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with an unknown etiology, that takes part in the group of spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Sacroileitis is usually there first sign and axial skeleton involvement is observed in the course of the disease progression. The spinal deformity can be easily observed with h and-ground distance in out-patient clinics. Previous studies showed an increased cardiovascular risk. But the mechanism is still controversial. We investigated the parameters of arterial stiffness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. We also investigated the correlation between the hand-ground distance and the arterial stiffness parameters. METHODS: 30 patients with ancylosing spondylitis (mean age: 35.5±12.1) without conventional cardiovascular risk factors that applied to Afyon Kocatepe University Hospital, Department of Physical therapy and rehabilitation and Department of cardiology compared with 30 healthy subjects (mean age: 34.9±12.9) with similar age and sex recruited for the study. The arterial stiffness parameters like PWV (pulse wave velocity), AIx (augmentation index), pulse pressure and central aortic pressure measurements are obtained via 'artheriograph' (TensioMed, Budapest, Hungary). Hand-ground distance is calculated in patient group while standing. The correlation between the arterial stiffness parameters and hand-ground distance is evaluated. RESULTS: There isn't any statistically difference between the patients and controls for PWV, AIx, pulse pressure and central aortic pressure. There is no statistically significant correlation between the hand-ground distance and arterial stiffness parameters or the duration of the disease and the arterial stiffness parameters. CONCLUSION: These results of this study showed, the arterial stiffness, which is predictive of early atherosclerosis, is not adversely affected in patients with ancylosing spondylitis without conventional risk factors, compared with healthy population. There is no correlation between the duration or the severity of the disease.