29 Pulse pressure will be estimated with the mean values of the second and third measurements. PWV and central and peripheral Dovitinib mw augmentation index These parameters will be estimated using the SphygmoCor System (AtCor Medical Pty Ltd, Head Office, West Ryde, Australia). With the patient sitting and resting his/her arm on a rigid surface, pulse wave analysis will be performed with a sensor in the radial artery, using mathematical transformation to estimate the aortic pulse wave. Central augmentation index (CAIx) will be estimated from aortic wave morphology using the following formula: increase

in central pressure×100/pulse pressure, and it will be adjusted for heart rate at 75 bpm. Peripheral augmentation index (PAIx) is a measurement taken directly from the late systolic shoulder of the peripheral arterial waveform, and is defined as the ratio of the difference between the second peak and diastolic pressure to the difference between the first peak and diastolic pressure,30 it is age-dependent, and could be a useful index of vascular aging.31 PAIx will be calculated as follows: (second peak SBP2−DBP/first peak SBP−DBP)×100 (%), it will be corrected for heart rate at 75 bpm and it will be reported as PAIx75. Carotid

and femoral artery pulse waves will be analysed, with the patient in a supine position, using the SphygmoCor System (Vx pulse wave velocity), estimating the delay as compared to the ECG wave and calculating PWV. Distance measurements will be taken with a measuring tape from the sternal notch to the carotid and femoral arteries at the sensor

location and will be multiplied by 0.8. Subclinical organ damage of PWV will be defined as a carotid–femoral PWV >10 m/s.28 32 Assessment of vascular structure by carotid IMT Carotid ultrasound to assess C-IMT will be performed by two investigators trained for this purpose before starting the study. A Sonosite Micromax ultrasound device paired with a 5–10 MHz multifrequency high-resolution linear transducer with Sonocal software will be used for performing automatic measurements of carotid IMT in Cilengitide order to optimise reproducibility. Measurements will be made of the common carotid after the examination of a 10 mm longitudinal section at a distance of 1 cm from the bifurcation, performing measurements in the proximal and in the distal wall in the lateral, anterior and posterior projections, following an axis perpendicular to the artery to discriminate two lines, one for the intima-blood interface and the other for the media-adventitious interface.