Cardio-ankle vascular index elevation in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Aim: To clarify whether the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) independently contributes to the development of exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared with carotid arteriosclerosis parameters and other risk factors.

Methods: Eighty-eight consecutive patients with exudative AMD were enrolled. A control group (40 age-matched men, 65 years of age or older) was also evaluated, and the parameters were compared between the two groups. A logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent factors for the diagnosis of AMD. In addition, simple linear and multiple regression analyses were used to determine the relationships between the CAVI and other parameters.

Results: The carotid intima-media thickness and plaque scores in the AMD group did not differ significantly from those observed in the control group. The CAVI in the AMD group was significantly (p=0.01) higher than that observed in the control group. A logistic regression analysis showed that the CAVI (odds ratio [OR], 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-7.20; p=0.007) and the use of lipid-lowering drugs (OR, 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10-0.86; p=0.03) independently contributed to the diagnosis of AMD. Age, the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level and the incidence of exudative AMD each independently contributed to the CAVI.

Conclusions: The CAVI is more significantly associated with exudative AMD than carotid atherosclerosis parameters. The overall arterial stiffness is correlated with the pathogenesis of exudative AMD. The CAVI is a useful marker of exudative AMD in elderly patients with arteriosclerosis risk factors.