Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index and Its Potential Clinical Implications for Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a prevalent disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While arterial stiffness is a surrogate marker for the development of CVD, the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) is a recently developed metric for evaluating arterial stiffness. Clinical studies have shown that the CAVI is higher in patients with the sleep apnea syndrome. In particular, a reduction in the CAVI can clearly be seen during short-term therapy for these patients. Although clinical evidence on sleep apnea using the CAVI is currently limited, the CAVI is expected to be useful for identifying patients with an increased risk of CVD and for monitoring treatment effectiveness in sleep apnea practice.