Introduction: Aortic augmentation index (AIx) is a commonly used measure to evaluate the arterial stiffness of large elastic arteries. It has been used as an indicator for cardiovascular risk in clinical practice.
Aim: To evaluate the difference in the aortic AIx assessed from the left and the right hand in a group of healthy young adults using SphygmoCor and Arteriograph devices.
Methods: 32 subjects were enrolled in this study (27 ± 7 years), 16 male and 16 female volunteers participated. Equally, half of the gender groups were left-handed and another half right-handed.
Results: It was found that the aortic AIx values assessed from the pressure waveforms of the right and the left hand are different and significantly higher in the left hand. Using a SphygmoCor device, the mean difference between the aortic AIx values from the right and the left hand among the whole study group was found - 4.78 ± 4.31% and using an Arteriograph the aortic AIx values were - 3.92 ± 3.90%. Aortic AIx values assessed from the right and the left hand were linearly related to each other for both devices. Moreover, it was found that the values of the aortic.
Conclusions: AIx are independent of the subject's handedness. It has to be pointed out that subjects who cannot be subjected to assessment of the aortic AIx from one side of the body could have different AIx values estimated from the recorded pressure waveform from the other bodyside.
Keywords: Augmentation index; arterial stiffness; bilateral difference; body side; side asymmetry; wave reflection.