Abstract: Objective: To obtain reliable data on the epidemiology, co-morbidities and risk factor profile of large artery arteriosclerosis and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), the clinical significance of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were evaluated as indicators of arteriosclerosis and PAD in aged patients. Methods： One hundred and ninety-one elderly patients (64.4% male, 71.73 years old in mean) were recruited for this study. baPWV and ABI were measured by the VP-1000 automatic arteriosclerosis measurement system. Results: One hundred and ten elderly patients (57.6%) were found to have large artery arteriosclerosis. The risk of large artery arteriosclerosis in elderly patients became higher with an increase of age (OR=1.060, 95% CI=1.010-1.113). Gender (OR=2.494, 95% CI=1.067-5.825) and history of hypertension(OR=10.569, 95% CI=4.74823.527) were independently associated with high baPWV (P＜0. 05). Moreover, 36 elderly patients (18.8%) were found to have PAD. The risk of PAD in elderly patients was related to a history of diabetes mellitus(OR=4.383, 95%CI=1.974-9.733, P＜0.001). Conclusion: BaPWV and ABI measurements are sensitive and independent indicators for evaluating the degree of arteriosclerosis and occlusion in the aged, which can effectively evaluate cardiovascular risk factors in elderly patients.

Key words: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, Anklebrachial index, Arteriosclerosis, Peripheral arterial disease