Investigation of the relationship between pulse wave velocity, framingham risk scorings, score risk scorings and visceral adiposity index

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in our country and in the world. With cardiovascular risk scoring methods, the population at risk can be detected early and risk factors can be intervened in a timely manner. Measurement of arterial stiffness is also gaining importance in the detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Visceral adiposity index, based on anthropometric measurements and clinical parameters, is a simple calculation method that provides information about visceral adipose tissue, which is closely related to cardiovascular diseases. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness, cardiovascular disease risk scores and visceral adiposity index. Our study included 209 people aged 40-69 years without a history of cardiovascular disease. Pulse wave velocities of the participants were measured, Framingham and SCORE2 risk scores were calculated, and visceral adiposity index values were determined. The mean age of the participants in our study was 52.9±8.1 years, 53.1% were female and 46.9% were male. The median value of the pulse wave velocity of the participants was 7.6 m/s, the median value of the Framingham risk score was 9%, the median value of the SCORE2 risk score was 4.9%, and the median value of the visceral adiposity index was 5.24. A significant correlation was found between pulse wave velocity and cardiovascular disease risk scores (p<0,001, p<0,001). No significant correlation was found between arterial stiffness and visceral adiposity index (p=0,184). According to the Framingham Risk Score, cut-off values of 7.6 m/s were determined to distinguish the low- and medium-risk groups, and 8.2 m/s to distinguish between the medium and high-risk groups. According to the Framingham Risk Score, the cut-off value was determined as 7.6 m/s for distinguishing the low and medium risk group, and 8.2 m/s for distinguishing the medium and high risk group. The cut-off value for the SCORE2 Risk Score was 7.8 m/s for distinguishing between low-intermediate and high-risk groups, and 8.9 m/s for distinguishing between high and very high-risk groups. In conclusion, our study showed that arterial stiffness measurement is a powerful parameter in determining cardiovascular risk and determined cut-off values that would benefit its more widespread use in the clinic. Key words: Arterial stiffness, pulse wave velocity, Framingham Risk Score, SCORE2 Risk Score, visceral adiposity index