Usefulness of Arterial Compliance in the Thigh in Predicting Exercise Capacity in Individuals Without Coronary Heart Disease

This study examined the relation between arterial compliance of the lower extremities and aerobic capacity in patients with a broad spectrum of cardiovascular risk but without overt coronary heart disease (CHD). Local arterial compliance was noninvasively measured in the thigh and calf in 104 men and 99 women using air plethysmography. Subjects also underwent maximal exercise treadmill testing as a measure of aerobic capacity. In univariate analysis, age (r = −0.49, p <0.001), systolic blood pressure at rest (r = −0.27, p <0.001), pulse pressure (r = −0.39, p <0.001), total cholesterol (r = −0.25, p <0.001), triglycerides (r = −0.025, p <0.001), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = −0.23, p <0.001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (r = −0.21, p = 0.002), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = −0.15, p = 0.03) all demonstrated a significant inverse association with treadmill time. Thigh and calf compliance demonstrated a significant positive association with treadmill time (r = 0.48, p <0.001; r = 0.46, p <0.001). In multivariate analysis, thigh compliance (p = 0.003), age (p <0.001), gender (p = 0.005), and triglycerides (p = 0.017) were independent predictors of treadmill time. In conclusion, thigh compliance measured with a simple-to-use, fully automated device independently predicts aerobic fitness in patients with a wide range of cardiovascular risk but without CHD.