Purpose:Arterial stiffness assessed non-invasively with the use of aortic pulse wave velocity(PWV) has been associated with atherosclerosis in coronary arteries and cardiovascular mortality. The aim of this study is whether arterial stiffness is predictive or not. Methods:We enrolled 126 symptomatic patients(male 84, mean age 57yrs), who underwent coronary angiogram. The extent of coronary artery disease(CAD) was defined as single or multiple vessel disease according to the number of coronary vessels with a ���50% narrowing, and modified stenosis score system with 0, 1, 2, and 3 points, respectively, for 0 to 30, 31 to 50, 51 to 70, and ���71% diameter stenosis in 1 to 3 segments of the 3 main coronary arteries and left main trunk(a total of 10 segments). Arterial stiffness was assessed by measuring carotid-radial PWV. Also, the cardiovascular risk factors including body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, LDL-cholesterol, left ventricle mass index(LVMI), peripheral pulse pressure(PP), plasma homocysteine and C-reactive protein were measured. Results:PWV in the multiple vessel CAD was faster than it in single(10.06짹1.48 vs 8.79짹1.65m/s, respectively, p<0.0001). In univariate analysis, severity of CAD expressed as stenosis score was associated with LDL-cholesterol, LVMI, PWV and diabetes. However, in multivariate analysis, severity of CAD was explained by only PWV(��=0.563;p <0.0001). Conclusions:Arterial stiffness assessed by PWV may predict severity of CAD after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.