The American journal of the medical sciences
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Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an excellent index of arterial stiffness and can be used to predict long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcome. In recent years, estimated PWV (ePWV), calculated by equations using age and mean blood pressure, was also reported to be a significant predictor of CV outcomes. However, there was no literature discussing about usefulness of ePWV in patients of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) for prediction of long-term CV and overall mortality. Therefore, we conducted this study for further evaluation. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, our study was the first to evaluate the usefulness of ePWV in AMI patients for prediction of long-term CV and overall mortality. Our study showed ePWV was not only easy to calculate by formula, but also an independent predictor for long-term CV mortality in univariable and multivariable analyses. Therefore, ePWV was a simple and useful tool to measure arterial stiffness and to predict CV mortality outcome in AMI patients without the necessity for equipment to measure PWV.